BAGUIO CITY -- The Office of Civil Defense (OCD)- Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) will widen the scope of its disaster risk reduction management (DRRM) training in the communities to further boost the people’s resiliency.
OCD-CAR Chief for Operations Ferdinand Tamulto on Friday said they will train various sectors, specifically the vulnerable in the communities.
He said OCD-CAR is eyeing a massive training for the 15 identified vulnerable sectors, including children, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and pregnant women.
Tamulto said the capability training will equip the various sectors with proper knowledge and management skills in helping themselves or their fellow residents during disasters.
“The training that we will be providing for them will not be as technical as that given to the local government units (LGUs), rather, something to help them prepare disaster plans at the barangay level, helping each families to deal with the possible disasters they might encounter,” he said.
He also emphasized that the vulnerable sectors, such as person with disabilities, children, senior citizens, should also receive the same level of training as what LGUs are receiving.
Tamulto said the community should realize that awareness is not enough to deal with disasters, but resiliency is the key.
When asked how resilient the people in the region are, he said “it is difficult to assess.”
“Resiliency should start with families, or individuals because there is a ripple effect. If they know how to handle these kinds of situations from the barangay level, there is a possibility it would escalate to the community or even on the national level.” he said.
Meanwhile, OCD has urged schools and the communities to improve their evacuation and emergency plans to capacitate their sectors, enabling them to act accordingly in cases disasters occur while they are in school or in their communities.
Tamulto said that that there is a need to enhance the evacuation plan and disaster risk reduction management plans of schools and the various establishments.
“Ang nangyayari kasi hindi naa-update yung mga plan ng mga sectors na ito, hindi nila napapansin na kailangan na nilang I-update since may influx sa population ( What is happening right now is, with the influx in population, they might not be aware that their emergency plan is no longer applicable, that is why they need to regularly update their respective plans)," he said.
Tamulto reiterated that it is part of their mandate to help the communities and other stakeholders to enhance their disaster and risk reduction management plans and evacuation to ensure their safety and become more resilient.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, through the OCD and the LGU level DRRM councils, continues to conduct various training in different levels to capacitate persons, enabling them to help themselves, family members or their neighbors, as part of the DRRM plan of the government. (PNA)
