THE Commission on Audit (COA) has tagged 54 local government units (LGUs), including a province in Mindanao and a city in Western Visayas, that have failed to create their own Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices (LDRRMO) in violation of RA 10121, or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management System Act.
The law, enacted way back 2010, requires the creation of an LDRRMO in every province, city, or municipality.
In addition, auditors also found nine LGUs with LDRRMOs that are understaffed or not fully capacitated.
Based on Joint Circular No. 2014-1 issued by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Civil Service Commission), the LDRRMO shall be headed by a disaster management officer and supported by a staff of three for administration and training, research and planning, and operations and warning.
“Non-creation or understaffing of the LDRRMOs raised concern on the capacity of the LGUs to deliver efficiently and effectively the necessary services to ensure the safety of its constituents in the event of a disaster, calamity, and other fortuitous events,” the COA said.
The list of non-compliant LGUs was contained in the 238-page Consolidated Report on the Audit of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Funds released by the COA on its website last September 18.
A copy of the report was submitted to the office of Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro as the concurrent chairperson of the National Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
The commission recommended that the 54 LGUs without disaster management offices and the nine with understaffed LDRRMOs be required to justify their failure to comply.
Based on the list provided in the report, there were 20 non-compliant LGUs in Central Visayas (Region 7), 11 in Caraga (Region 13), six in both Western Visayas (Region 6) and Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9); two each from Northern Mindanao (Region 10), Eastern Visayas (Region 8), Bicol Region (Region 5), Calabarzon (Region 4A), and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR); and one in the National Capital Region.
Also included in the list were the province of Lanao del Norte, Bacolod City in Negros Occidental, and Pateros, the lone municipality in Metro Manila.
