Mindanaotoday.com | RDRRMC: Normin shows it’s resilient
By: URIEL QUILINGUING
Economic indicators that were computed and officially released online by the state’s statistics agency have proven Northern Mindanao’s resiliency from Covid-19 pandemic and natural disasters, a National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) official said Friday, July 14.
Leonila Cajarte, Neda-10 assistant regional director, in a National Disaster Resilience Month (NDRM) forum at Limketkai Center in Cagayan de Oro, said: “Northern Mindanao’s economy is resilient as shown by the 7.2% regional growth.”
Cajarte recalled that in 2020, the region posted a negative 5.3% economic growth when the national average then was negative 9.3%. Covid-19 was declared by the World Health Organization as a pandemic in March that year.
“The 7.2% was even higher than the pre-pandemic level of 5.6%,” said the Neda-10 official who represented her regional director. Neda-10 sits in the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council as vice-chair for rehabilitation and recovery.
In 2021, the region posted a 6.3% economic growth even when Covid-19 safety and health protocols were still in effect, including travel restrictions.
Meanwhile, Engineer Romela Ratilla, Department of Science and Technology-10 regional director, said destructive weather systems such as typhoon Odette, shearline and even the 2011 typhoon Sendong left many realizations.
One of these, Ratilla said, is in planning and designing of evacuation centers (ECs) special needs of the vulnerable sector, such as senior citizens, children, persons with disabilities, and pregnant women, must be taken into account.
Office of Civil Defense-10 Regional Director Antonio Sugarol, who chairs the RRDDMC, said that of the 98 local governments in Northern Mindanao, only 27 have constructed evacuation centers. The rest still converts covered courts and utilize public schools as temporary shelter for evacuees.
Sugarol said all local governments are required to establish emergency operation centers once natural and man-made disaster occur. This, including the construction of ECs which have been integrated in the local government’s disaster risk reduction and management plans. This year’s NDRM theme is “Building
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