Vol. 34 Nos. 3-4 (July-December 2013)
EROPA Bulletin
33
Governability (Management)...
teams that looked into the nuclear accident, Sasaki
explained these three issues as the following:
surveillance and
inspection, public
relations, coordination
and communitybased warning, relief
and mental health
care, habitation,
situation evaluation
and emergency
relief, community
participation, daily
flood evaluation, and post-flood preparation. These
functions are undertaken by the center’s various units.
1) “Blame-game”, wherein the stakeholders became
hesitant to fully cooperate with the investigation for
fear of losing their reputation; 2) “hindsight”, wherein
stakeholders instead focus on what should have been
done to prevent or act upon the accident; and 3)
oblivescence (memory gap), wherein stakeholders
“forget” what happened in the crisis response.
(From page 32)
There was an emphasis on the initiative of the people
themselves in preventing or at least minimizing
the flood through the preparation of sand bags. The
presentation noted that everyone was involved in this
undertaking, including the monks.
Prof. Pathan ended his presentation by sharing the key
success factors in Pakkret flood management. These
factors are: effective leadership in preparing
emergency plan and coordination of various sectors;
participation of partners and the community; clear
communication between the government and the
community; and the fair treatment of both floodaffected and non-flood-affected citizens. After his
presentation, Prof. Suvanamongkol consumed his
remaining time with a video presentation showcasing
the experience of Pakkret.
Blame Game, Hindsight and Oblivescence:
Impediments against Post-Emergency Investigations
Mr. Kazuyuki Sasaki
studied the three major
challenges around
the post-emergency
investigation conducted
on the Dai-ichi Nuclear
Power Plant accident
in Fukushima. Being
part of the investigation
According to Sasaki, these three factors posed
difficulties on the part of the investigation teams in
looking into the accident. Despite these challenges,
the post-emergency investigators involved in the
Fukushima nuclear accident put in all their efforts
to proceed with the investigation. He reiterated that
impartial and fair post-emergency investigations are
essential to ensure efficient assessment of the extent of
damage and casualty from a disaster.
The Role of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in
Local Government Administration
Prof. Joan Carinugan
presented her
examination of the
higher education
institutions that offer
training programs and
degrees to officials
of local government
units (LGUs) in
the Philippines. In
her paper, Prof. Carinugan explored whether the
LGU capability-building programs of these HEIs
contribute to the enhancement of the capacity of
LGUs in local government administration. Using the
case study approach, the paper looked at five HEIs in
the country’s National Capital Region (NCR). The
five HEIs under study are development-oriented
and offering either both degree and/or non-degree
pr