DILG expressed readiness to face calamities

Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo said on Friday that 85 percent of all the local government units in the nation are geared up for calamities.

Robredo said, "We now have a seal of disaster preparedness."

He said that he institutionalize a very organized way of disaster preparedness. They have measurement for that seal, first is institutional organization preparedness, second is operational readiness and the last is, mainstream disaster preparedness.

Robredo said, "The DILG has a parallel system that is on time. (Katulad nitong sa 'Butchoy') sinabihan ng mas maaga ang regions, then the provinces and local governments and they should mobilize their teams. Medyo confident kami na pinaghahandaan ito [kalamidad] ng LGU."

He added that also mayors, school principals may also make a decision on whether to suspend classes if they notice that they have to, particularly during the rainy season.

On the other hand the Department of Education already informed the mayors that they have the power to decide if there is a need to suspend classes on their districts. — ARA