Bauang, La Union – Even in the midst of grief over the late DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo’s demise, DILG Region 1 decided to push through with the conduct of the Regional Collaborationj Workshop for Agno River Basin because it is “one of the projects closest to to his heart.”

"Right now,I believe that there is a big smile on Secretary Robredo’s face as he looks down on us. We have decided to pursue the conduct of this workshop because this... is also one of our ways to pay tribute to him.,” said Regional Director Corazon P. Guray in her message to the participants of the activity.

Guray led the group, composed of 250 Mayors, Sanggunian Members, Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) Officers, Civil Society Organization and Regional Development Council (RDC) representatives of Local Government Units (LGUs)from Regions I, II, III and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) within the perimeter of the Agno River, in a one - minute prayer to honor the memory of the late Secretary during the opening program.

“There were requests that we postpone the conduct of this activity, however, I firmly believe that Secretary Robredo will be happier if we continue with the work he and the Department had started,” added Dir. Guray. The regional collaboration, she said, is one of the department’s ways of addressing the challenges on how to cope with the impacts of disaster and climate change.

The Department has focused its targets to LGUs within the eighteen (18) Major River Basins in the country. A total of five (5) provinces, three (3) cities and 46 municipalities of four (4) Regions are located within the periphery of the Agno River.

"Our goal is to come up with a common action plan in order to harmonize our efforts and initiatives to have more effective results,” Dir. Guray further encouraged the participants.

Speakers from the DILG, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), its Environment Management Bureau (EMB), Office of Civil Defense, River Basin Control Office and Agno Flood Control Office discussed topics such as climate change, National DRRM Plan, the DILG’s DRRM – CCA Intervention Framework, Agno River Situation, networks and building alliances and Agno Flood Control. The participants were also given the opportunity to ask questions and clarifications during the open forum.

Before the activity ended, all the stakeholders signed a pledge of commitment aimed at building climate adaptive and disaster resilient communitiea, and crafted their initial regional action agenda. - Lily Ann O. Colisao

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