Enhancing Disaster Preparedness: Evaluating the Efficiency of Weather Advisories in Legazpi City

Abstract

The City of Legazpi currently serves as the regional government center, education, tourism, and transport hub of the Bicol Region. The city acts as a gateway to several provinces, including Masbate, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Sorsogon, and Camarines Norte. It is made up of 70 barangays, 19 of which are coastal barangays, and is 16,165.05 hectares in total land area. The city is vulnerable to the effects of typhoons that originate in the Pacific Ocean, which can cause floods, storm surges, strong winds, and landslides caused by rain because it is located along the eastern shoreline and typhoon belt. Additionally, the city is vulnerable to earthquakes, tsunamis, and lahar floods due to its location within an active volcanic and seismic zone. (2015). Legazpi City Local Climate Change Action Plan [Review of Legazpi City Local Climate Change Action Plan]. United Nations Human Settlements Programme.
Several provisions in the Local Government Code of 1991 enjoin local government units to protect the welfare, safety, and security of its constituents from all kinds of hazards. The Climate Change Act of 2009 (Republic Act 9729) provides policies for the local governments to uphold the people’s constitutional rights to life and property by addressing the root causes of vulnerabilities to climate change and strengthening its institutional capacity for adaptation to climate change effects and building the resilience of local communities. (2009, October 23). Republic Act No. 9729
In the past ten years, natural hazards such as volcanic activity, typhoons, and floods, caused major loss of human lives and destruction of properties and livelihood in Legazpi City. The disastrous events also destroyed production assets and infrastructure and caused damage to the environment. (2015). Legazpi City Local Climate Change Action Plan [Review of Legazpi City Local Climate Change Action Plan]. United Nations Human Settlements Programme.