Magalong SOCA bares strong measures vs climate change,disasters

ULAT SA BAYAN – Ibinahagi ni Mayor Benjie Magalong sa naganap na selebrasyon ng 115th Charter Anniversary noong Setyembre 1, ang kanyang State of the City Address (SOCA), na tumatalakay sa progreso ng Baguio City na nagpapakita ng innovation, inclusivity, at excellence. Bahagi nito ay ang Good Governance na pamamahala ay dapat maglingkod nang may integridad, katapatan, kahusayan, at malinaw na pananaw para sa lungsod. Dagdag pa rito, binigyang-diin niya ang Youth Empowerment kung saan ang mga youth leaders ay dapat lumahok sa pagdedesisyon at makinig sa kanila para bigyan ng kapangyarihan ang ibang mga kabataan. Ang lahat ng mga nagawa, pagsisikap, at paglilingkod sa mga tao ay para sa mga susunod na henerasyon. Photo by Zaldy Comanda

By Gaby B. Keith

BAGUIO CITY — “We must complement our environmental efforts with strong measures to address climate change and disasters effectively.”

Thus, stressed Mayor Benjamin Magalong in his State of the City Address 2024 during the 115th Baguio Charter Day Anniversary program, September 1, at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center.

He disclosed that the city was recognized with the Gawad KALASAG Award for 2023, achieving the prestigious ‘Beyond Compliant’ status which reflects the Summer Capital’s “significant progress in disaster risk reduction and management.”

In addition to the Flood Early Warning System (FEWS), the Mayor said the city recently implemented a Landslide Early Warning System (LEWS) in Dontogan barangay developed by the University of the Cordilleras in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Philippine Council.

“LEWS uses sensors to track soil movement, soil moisture, rainfall, and temperature, providing essential data to mitigate landslide risks.,” he explained.

The Mayor said the city applied for the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s (UNDRR) ‘Making Cities Resilient 2030’ Program in 2021, “however, we are ambitiously aiming to achieve full resilience by 2026.”

He revealed that the city is supported by a three-year capacity building program funded by a grant from the National Resilience Council (NRC) and Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies (ARISE), and is implementing key initiatives such as the Green Building Code, Blue Walks to restore natural streams, and Green Walks to turn roads into green streets.

“We also conducted a Social Vulnerability Assessment to address vulnerabilities in economics, population, housing, and disaster preparedness,” the Mayor said.

He added that the city’s Comprehensive Climate and Disaster Risk Assessment (CDRA) leverages advanced technologies like digital twin mapping within its barangays.