Manila: The Samar provincial government has launched a Waray-language disaster preparedness initiative aimed at improving public understanding of disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) information across the province. The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) formally launched the IKMAT Samar Project during a ceremony in Catbalogan City on July 7.

According to Philippines News Agency, IKMAT, which stands for "Initiative for Knowledge Management and Alertness towards Tenacity and Transformation," also draws its name from the Waray word ikmat, which means "to prepare." Provincial DRRM officer Manuel Van Torrevillas said the project seeks to make disaster preparedness information more accessible by using the language most familiar to the people of Samar. "In DRRM, local language matters as it improves understanding of warnings, advisories, and preparedness messages," Torrevillas stated.

At the core of the initiative is the IKMAT Samar Localized Disaster Preparedness Guidebook, an information, education, and communication material translated and contextualized in the Waray dialect. The guidebook will be distributed to local government units, schools, civil society organizations, youth groups, and community volunteers to strengthen disaster preparedness at the grassroots level.

Torrevillas highlighted that the project aims to bridge communication gaps, reinforce community-based disaster risk reduction, and support the province's efforts to build safer and more disaster-resilient communities. The initiative is aligned with the provincial government's long-term disaster resilience agenda, which outlines strategic goals to strengthen disaster preparedness and risk reduction across Samar.