QUEZON CITY, (PIA) -- The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) conducted an orientation on the country's disaster response and early recovery system attended by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council focal persons.

The orientation, held in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Friday and led by Civil Defense Administrator Usec. Raymundo B Ferrer, is a refresher for the newly designated DRRM focal persons who will be sitting as members of the response cluster.

Civil Defense Deputy Administrator for Operations, Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV discussed the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management System.

This was followed by a comprehensive discussion on the various hazards presented by experts from the warning agencies: the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration on hydrometeorological hazards, Mines and Geosciences Bureau on rain-induced landslides, and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology on geological hazards.

The disaster response mechanisms including the use of the Incident Command System, the response clusters' roles and responsibilities, and the response and early recovery requirements were also tackled in the orientation.

Asec. Hernando Caraig, Civil Defense Deputy Administrator for Administration and Operations Service Director, Hamid Bayao also joined the briefing along with officers and staff of the OCD’s Operations Center. (OCD/PIA-NCR)