DISASTER READINESS. Member-agencies of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC)-Calabarzon ready emergency preparedness measures for the upcoming synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections 2018 in the region during their pre-disaster assessment meeting held at RDRRMC Operation Center on May 2. (Photo by OCD-RDRRMC Calabarzon)
PACIANO RIZAL, Calamba City - The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC)-Calabarzon has readied emergency measures for the upcoming synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections 2018 in the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon.
Public information officer Georgina Garcia for Calabarzon Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-RDRRMC told Philippine News Agency on Thursday that the RDRRMC Calabarzon Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will be activated and raised to "BLUE ALERT" status from May 11 to 15 to closely monitor the areas of responsibility for situational updates and untoward incidents, and to readily provide possible augmentation to local DRRMCs as necessary.
Garcia also said that all local DRRMCs were enjoined - through a memorandum - to similarly activate their EOCs and to place their emergency response resources on standby alert status during the same period.
At the pre-disaster risk assessment meeting held May 2 at the Operations Center, Garcia said the RDRRMC member agencies’ representatives tackled the impacts on the huge voter statistics population in the region for the forthcoming polls.
She referred to the 2016 Voter Statistics data sourced from the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), which shows that Calabarzon Region has the largest voting population in the country with 7.6 million registered voters. The region posted the highest voter turnout in 2016 with 5.9 million, or 77.8%.
“The conference attendees made assessments in regard to the volume of voters expected to flock in the region’s various precincts and the influx of people returning to their home towns to exercise their right to suffrage,” Garcia said.
She said that OCD Calabarzon, which serves as the RDRRMC’s chair and secretariat, highlighted the importance of anticipating and preparing for possible emergencies that may arise, considering the influx of people, in relation with the election period.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte issued on Wednesday Proclamation No. 479, which declared May 14 as a special non-working holiday nationwide, in connection with the 2018 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections, thus the public expects a longer weekend next week.
Garcia said that the meeting also determined the possible hazards that RDRRMC response agencies and Local DRRM Councils (LDRRMC) should prepare for, following the presentation by the Calabarzon regional offices of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) on the threat and risk assessments, particularly on human-induced hazards that could affect the elections.
Five other Provincial DRRM Offices (PDRRMO) and RDRRMC-Calabarzon member agencies such as the Departments of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Health (DOH), Public Works and Highways (DPWH); Philippine Coast Guard-Southern Tagalog and the Philippine Information Agency also reported their respective office’s preparedness measures.
The OCD regional office also emphasized the need to preposition emergency responders and equipment such as emergency medical teams, fire suppression teams, search and rescue teams, communications teams, and power generators near identified hotspots, as part of the DRRM Councils’ consequence management support to PNP’s security and peace and order operations during the election period. (PNA)
