Formulation of the CLUP, CDP, LDRRMP and LCCAP of the Balanga, Bataan
The Climate Change Act of 2009 (amended by Republic Act 10174 or the People’s Survival Fund) and Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 (Republic Act No. 10121) mandate the mainstreaming of the concepts of Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) to the plans, programs, and budget of LGUs. This includes the conduct of the CDRA and the formulation of the Local Climate Change Action Plan (LCCAP) and the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan (LDRRMP) to address the impacts of climate change and disasters.
In developing the CDRA, climate change-adjusted hazard maps are important to anticipate and address future scenarios brought about by climate change. These hazard maps are probabilistic and incorporate climate change projections. With these hazard maps, the LGU will readily see which areas are exposed to different hydro-meteorological hazards. It will also help the LGU prepare not only for events that happened before but also in preparing for future events than can be of higher magnitude. Moreover, these hazard maps will be used for the vulnerability and risk assessment which can guide the City to better-informed decisions for their locality and in better-adjusted plans.
The Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 also mandates LGUs to develop contingency plans (CPs) to address the potential impacts of disasters. CPs are scenario-based plans that determine operational arrangements and protocols for timely, appropriate, and effective response in times of selected priority disasters. Furthermore, a Public Service Continuity Plan (PSCP) may also be prepared by a city or municipality to ensure continuous delivery of quality public services during an emergency.
The City of Balanga, Bataan intends to collaborate with the University of the Philippines (UP) through the UP NOAH Center to fulfill these plans while adhering to its mission to build a highly livable family-oriented city with strong learning atmosphere that will ensure sustainable development and participatory governance.
The project between UP NOAH Center and the City of Balanga aims to update and enhance the latter’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) and their Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP), together with their implementing instruments. As a prerequisite, it will also include the development of baseline studies such as a Climate and Disaster Risk Assessment (CDRA) and a Ecological Profile (EP), with the assistance of the UP NOAH Center. It will also include the Local Climate Change Action Plan (LCCAP), Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan (LDRRMP), Contingency Plan (CP), and Public Service Continuity Plan (PSCP). In addition, this project also intends to:
1. Enhance the capability of the local planning structures in data-based research and analysis relevant to the formulation of the plans;
2. Institutionalize synergistic processes with various stakeholders in local planning;
3. Consider the impacts of climate change and disasters on the ecosystem and mainstream climate change adaptation and mitigation (CCAM) and disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) into the local plans; and
4. Enhance the capacity of relevant offices in the LGU with the use of Geographic Information System in local planning.
