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Tuguegarao City - To mitigate or totally avoid the damaging effects of disasters, the Regional Statistical Coordinating Committee under the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC) in the Philippines recently conducted a forum on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in the Provincial Capitol.

Director Milagros Rimando of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) said the forum aimed to enhance the capacity of the national government agencies and local officials in instituting DRR measures in their areas.

The NEDA chief stressed that while natural hazards can not be prevented from happening, the vicious cycle of disasters can be reversed through mainstreaming DRR in the development process through analyzing and managing the causal factors.

Among the topics discussed were Climate Change, Mineral Resources Indicators and Geologic Hazards, Forest Cover, Water Biodiversity, Employment, Business Establishments and in-migration as well as Resources Awareness of Population Impacts on Development (RAPID).

Marie Nelie Monteclaro, Senior Geologist of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB) identified the landslide-prone areas where human settlements and economic activities are highly restricted to lessen the effects of hazardous events.

On the other hand, Henry Patricio of the DENR- Ecosystem Research and Development Services division said that Region 2 which has a total forest cover of 1,149,845 has. is second to Region 4B among the 17 regions in the country having the most forest cover.

To maintain the forest cover, Patricio said that several programs and projects have been instituted in the five provinces such as Grow a Tree for Legacy, Integrated Social Forestry, Urban Forestry, Watershed Plantation establishment among others.

Director Annabelle Langbayan of the National Statistics Office (NSO) said that their office is undertaking censuses on population, migration, agriculture, commerce and industry as basis of concerned agencies for planning and formulation of policies affecting the labor market.

Meanwhile, PopCom Information Officer Theresa Soriano said that the Resources for the Awareness of Population Impacts on Development or RAPID, an advocacy tool which their office has been using to dramatize the population growth and development has gained support from the Local Government Units as shown in the different population programs being implemented in their areas.

Soriano thanked the LGU's that have appointed their permanent population officers. This will ensure a more effective implementation of projects that will eventually result to partnership between the people and the government in development and at the same time ensuring that these development efforts do not increase vulnerability to hazards.