The Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Office No. XIII carried on with its virtual Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Campaign on the Results of Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (VRA) Project and Training-Workshop on Understanding Risk Exposure Maps for the Municipalities of Tubay and Santiago, Province of Agusan del Norte on November 3 to 4, 2022 via Zoom Platform. 

In consideration of the significant decrease in COVID-19 cases for the past few months, the MGB Regional Office No. XIII personnel conducted a face-to-face pre-coordination meeting with the officials of the said Local Government Units (LGUs) on October 26, 2022. On the same note, the Office still follows strict protocols and even decided to conduct its IEC campaigns virtually via Zoom Platform in view of the prevalence of COVID-19. This shift to a virtual medium will allow the Office to fully realize the IEC objectives while ensuring the safety of both the LGU participants and the MGB personnel.  

The IEC Campaign aimed to intensify awareness and provide additional technical input to the Local Government Unit regarding Risk Exposure Analysis and its significance to comprehensive land use, development, and disaster risk management planning.

During the activity, the MGB Regional Office No. XIII geologists discussed the following topics:

  • Understanding Geologic Hazards;
  • Introduction to MGB’s National Geohazard Assessment Program and the Presentation of the Updated Geohazard Susceptibility Map;
  • Introduction to Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (Risk Exposure Assessment);
  • Production of Risk Exposure Maps;
  • Understanding Risk Exposure Maps; and
  • Workshop on Risk Exposure Assessment.

Issues and concerns were raised and discussed after each presentation. The VRA Technical Reports and two sets of Risk Exposure Maps were turned over to the LGU’s Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management (MDRRM) Officer and Municipal Planning and Development Officer during the pre-coordination meeting.

Towards the end of the activity, the Office acknowledged the support given by the LGUs of Tubay and Santiago through the MDRRM Officers for the successful conduct of the virtual IEC Campaign and Training-Workshop.

By:

JANETH S. APARRI
Project Development Officer