| RATIONALE | OBJECTIVES | BENEFICIARIES | PROCEDURES | RELIEF OPERATIONS |
The need to initiate a comprehensive disaster preparedness and management program is very urgent since the emergences of devastating calamities are seldom predictable and uncontrollable. Bikol region is under threat in terms of natural calamities. Aside from the regular typhoon disturbances that strike the region, geographical location is placed under the Pacific Ring of Fire enabling the topography to experience earth quakes and activities from its volcanoes.
The recent devastating typhoon that hit Bikol, was in 2006 were typhoon “Reming” left a very tragic damage to lives and properties of Albay and Camarines Sur provinces. An estimate of more than a thousand casualties and a total of 5.86 billion pesos worth of infrastructures and agriculture were claimed by the catastrophe.
Year 2006 was also the year were the Center for Community Development together with partner offices from the university and outside institutions formulated the AGAP BIKOL project. It was a quick relief and rehabilitation project wherein food and repair materials were immensely distributed as the need for assistance were at a very priority level. The relief operations took place at affected areas of Albay and Camarines Sur.
Relief materials are needed very much during calamities since it will be the first assistance that can be initiated for the victims. The university is a regular responder to the victims of natural calamities and other disasters. Relief and Rehabilitation operations are always organized every time a typhoon or a disaster hits a certain area of Bikol as well as other areas.
Since the need for relief materials are urgent, it will be efficient for the university to readily allocate these if it maintains a regular relief donations drive even before the occurrence of disasters. The typhoon season from June-December is also a determining factor that shall require a strategic disaster preparedness plan including the storage of relief materials.