DAVAO CITY — The Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) has signed a partnership agreement with the Asia Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management (A-PAD) to develop a continuity program that will help small firms sustain their operations during calamities.
“A business continuity program protects the business and lessens impact of disasters,” DCCCII President Arturo M. Milan said during this week’s Habi at Kape forum.
A-PAD will also help in the implementation phase, targeted for early 2020.
Mr. Milan said while most medium and large businesses have their respective continuity programs, the micro and small establishments need to “change their mindset” in terms of preparing for disasters such as the recent earthquakes that hit parts of Mindanao, including Davao City.
He acknowledged that most small businesses “don’t have that luxury” in terms of human and financial resources to develop continuity plans, but said there are simple measures they can adopt.
“That’s part of how you plan based on location, the people, and the processes that you will do,” he said.
Mr. Milan also urged the government to review the National Building Code to ensure the integrity of infrastructure in light of new information on natural hazards.
The business sector, he added, is also being urged to come up with a list of standards that may be considered in the Building Code reassessment.
Following assessments in the aftermath of the three strong earthquakes last October, the city government condemned two condominium projects, Ecoland 4000 and Palmetto Place. — Carmelito Q. Francisco
