Disaster-preparedness plans readied for Pinoys in New Zealand

Philippine officials in New Zealand are working on a disaster preparedness program for Filipinos based in Auckland, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.   The plan is a joint project of the Philippine Embassy in Wellington and the Filipino Disaster Preparedness and Response Team in Auckland (FDPRTA).   Both entities are working with the Auckland City Council and the Civil Defense Office in Auckland, the DFA said in a news release.   Auckland-based Filipinos, led by Norberto Ricacho, formed the FDPRTA after the massive loss of lives and property from the February 22, 2011 earthquake in Christchurch.   The FDPRTA aims to come up with effective community disaster response mechanisms for Filipinos in Auckland.   Philippine Ambassador Virginia Benavidez said the Philippine government mandated all diplomatic missions to have a contingency plan, which calls for the designation of area coordinators. "The Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response Plan for Filipinos in Auckland that will be made through this collaboration among the Embassy, the FDPRTA, the Auckland City Council and the Civil Defense Office will serve as the model for the Filipino communities in the other areas of New Zealand, as well as in the Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga," Benavidez said.   She noted that more than 23,000 Filipinos will benefit from the contingency plan. The first series of strategic planning workshops are being conducted for FDPRTA members by the Auckland City Council's Emergency Management Office during weekends and will run until the end of this April. - VVP, GMA News