SIQUIJOR, Siquijor, May 4 (PIA) -- The Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) in Region 7 led the three-day training for government officials from different agencies in Siquijor on April 19-20, 2023.

Done in partnership with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the activity is part of OCD’s s mandate to administer a comprehensive national civil defense and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) program by leading a continuous development of the ways and means to reduce the susceptibility to hazards and manage the aftermaths of disasters.

OCD-7 Operation Staff Jane Rose Abapo started the training by elaborating the overview of the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) System with emphasis on the salient points of RA 10121 also known as the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010.

Abapo also showed video clips of the different disasters that occurred to better stimulate the discussion.

She emphasized the significance as well of gaining awareness on the strategies that can reduce the country’s vulnerabilities.

Supervising Geologist Maria Elena Lupo from the Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology Section of MGB 7, under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), equipped the trainees with the basic knowledge on geologic or natural hazards.

Lupo shared that disasters come in two ways.

These can be natural disasters or human induced.

Natural disasters like earthquake hazards, volcanic hazards, mass movement such as landslides, creep, subsidence, differential settlement and karst, fluvial hazards like flashflood, sheet flow, riverbank erosion, scouring of riverbed, channel migration, rill erosion, gully erosion, sedimentation and coastal hazards.

Lupo showed geographical sites in the Philippines that are susceptible to floods, landslides and other risks as well as some points of the country which are safer for settlement or other infrastructures.

Weather Specialist Engr. Daniel Caber of PAGASA Negros Synoptic Station discussed the hydro-meteorological hazards and its possible effects or the impact of the disasters to the humankind.

Caber elaborated on the meteorological hazards like extreme meteorological and climate events, such as floods, droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes, landslides, or mudslides and the phenomenon behind them.

He disclosed that Philippines will be experiencing El Niño from this year until January 2024.

Dennis Atto of OCD 7 tackled the importance of organizing disaster control groups following the standards and principles of incident command system based on RA 10121.

He explained the roles to be undertaken by the participants to build a culture of safety and resiliency in the government service.

Atto emphasized that Public Service Continuity Planning is essential to ensure continuity of public services amidst any disruption.

He also gave a group exercise intended to measure the capacities of the participants in planning mitigations and managing situations before, during and after a disaster. (NPO/PIA7 Siquijor)