DISASTER CENTER KEY IN AVOIDING
ANOTHER ONDOY TRAGEDY- ANGARA

A year after the Ondoy tragedy, Senator Edgardo J. Angara said that the establishment of the Disaster Management Training Center (DMTC) should be a national priority in order to better prepare the nation for the dealing with similar disasters.

Angara, Chair of the Congressional Commission on Science Technology and Engineering (COMSTE), noted that the DMTC is envisioned to become a regional hub for disaster science where our scientists can help prepare officials and LGU's to handle natural calamities.

COMSTE has prioritized the creation of the DMTC and is working with the Manila Observatory (MO) to finalize proposals for its foundation.

The center is set to become a training center that will focus on scenario-type learning utilizing technology for disaster mitigation and management. Taiwan and Japan are already actively cooperating with training of local experts.

The DSMC is set to be a public-private initiative that the scientific community can use to better understand the mechanics of managing disasters with the cooperation of neighboring countries that have experienced similar storms and natural calamities as the Philippines.

Angara said that, "we need to adopt a pro-active approach in order to properly address this problem. A scientific approach supported by extensive research has already led me to appropriate PHP 100M from the budget for the establishment of a Philippine Disaster Science Center, roughly PHP40M of which is allocated for a proposed Disaster Management Training Center."

Angara pointed out that a joint study by Columbia University and the World Bank entitled 'Natural Disaster Hotspots: A Global Risk Analysis', which identifies countries which are at high risk for six major natural hazards: earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, floods, drought, and cyclones, has the Philippines pegged as one of riskiest countries in the world.