CEBU CITY – With the onset of the rainy season and the high probability of La Niña to hit the country, the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC) in Central Visayas (Region 7) headed by Police Regional Office 7 (PRO 7) chief Lani-O Nerez is urging local government units (LGUs) here to consolidate all search and rescue equipment as part of the preparation to mitigate the impact of possible disaster.

Nerez disclosed that since RDCC7 is eyeing for a zero-casualty rate this year, preemptive measures were already identified down to the barangay (village) level.

“We have to undertake preemptive measures especially on areas that are vulnerable to flooding like those near the rivers because these areas have high-susceptibility,” Nerez stressed.

Nerez also reminded local officials to consolidate all their search and rescue assets as part of the preparation.

Moreover, he added that they will strictly implement forced evacuation as part of the preemptive measures if needed, while they are also identifying evacuation areas for longer use.

The PRO7 official also said they are strictly monitoring seven rivers in the province of Bohol, 10 in Cebu, and eight in Negros Oriental to keep an eye on the water level.

“As far the RDCC 7 is concerned including its member agency we are all set in terms of preparation,” Nerez said.

Members of the RDCC7 include several government offices like the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Central Command (CentCom), Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and other concerned agencies.

However, the RDCC7 head admitted that despite their preparation, the lack of available resources like rescue equipment continues to be one of their biggest challenges.

He also encouraged local government units to wisely use their calamity funds in buying rescue equipment as they serve as the front-liners in disaster response.

Meanwhile, CentCom spokesperson Lt. Col. Wilson Feria disclosed that the command has also organized an emergency battalion to augment the search and rescue operations in the Visayas.

“We have reserved units in Panay and Samar and we are continuously training our personnel to enhance their capability,” Feria said.

Furthermore, both Feria and Nerez agreed that one of the most important parts of the preparation is the strengthening of the public information drive, wherein the people are directly told on what to do during emergency cases.