The City Disaster Coordinating Council (CDCC) sponsored a Disaster Management Seminar in November of 2008 to equip the different barangays with the proper and sufficient knowledge on how to deal with disasters.

The CDCC targeted the members of the Barangay Disaster Coordinating Councils (BDCC) as participants for they are the ones who are more in touch with the people and are the ones directly responsible for ensuring public safety in times of disasters – be it manmade or natural. The CDCC believes damages are lessened if disasters are dealt with in the barangay level.
The two-day activity divided the 57 barangays of Catbalogan into two batches with the 2nd batch of participants consisting of upland and coastal barangays – those that were considered to be more at risk in times of disasters.

City Councilor Eliot Lopez said that the seminar aims to make BDCCs more responsive to emergencies, calamities and disasters unlike in the past when the said body was convened merely for the sake of compliance without any training.
Among the highlights of the seminar were the preparation of the Disaster Management Plan of each BDCC and the deputization of the Punong Barangays as the one in charge during times when disaster strikes.

The seminar is one of the steps being taken by the City Government to improve the city’s disaster management system. The LGU hopes compliment the seminars and trainings with a fully functioning action center that will make communication and coordination easier in times of emergencies and disasters.