By CESAR JOLITO III

In the wake of deadly floods that claimed six lives in Negros Occidental during the onslaught of the southwest monsoon or habagat enhanced by Severe Tropical Storm “Crising,” Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson is urging all local chief executives in the province to review and strengthen their local disaster preparedness and response protocols.

“Zero casualties should always be the goal,” Lacson said during his address at the oath-taking of the new officers of the Negros Association of Chief Executives (ACE) held earlier this week.

The governor called the recent loss of lives a painful reminder of the unpredictability and power of nature, stressing that disaster response must begin long before calamities strike.

He appealed to local chief executives not only to invest in equipment and infrastructure but also to craft comprehensive, well-coordinated plans that involve all levels of government.

“Preparedness must be proactive, not reactive,” Lacson said, citing the need for anticipatory action instead of waiting for a disaster to unfold.

Negros ACE President and Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante, Jr. said the group supports the governor’s call and is open to convening a province-wide Disaster Risk Reduction and Management summit to reassess strategies and ensure unified action.

The timing of the summit, he noted, will depend on the governor’s schedule.

Six individuals died amid the onslaught of habagat enhanced by “Crising” in Negros Occidental, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said.

Four of the fatalities were due to drowning in the cities of Sagay and Himamaylan, as well as Binalbagan town.

Two others died of electrocution in Hinoba-an town after coming into contact with a live electrical line that they had long used as an improvised clothesline amid the persistent wet weather./CJ, WDJ