DAVAO CITY – The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) of Davao Oriental launched on Friday its first provincial disaster resilience clinic at Capitol Hill, aiming to determine the level of local governments' response capability when disaster or emergency strikes.
Charlemagne Bagasol, head of Mati City DRRMO, said this is an avenue for provinces, local government units (LGUs) and response clusters to assess their disaster response capabilities.
“It will enhance interoperability among the response cluster member agencies. It will also showcase the best practices in disaster preparedness among the local government units and its response cluster members,” she said in an interview.
The activity highlighted the province's disaster preparedness and response capabilities through static displays of equipment and personnel. It also serves as a literacy campaign and a short training session for the public, mainly aimed at educating young people about disaster preparedness, first aid, and disaster response.
In line with the National Disaster Resilience Month observed every July across the country, the clinic brought together various government offices from both local and national levels.
Participating agencies included the Philippine Army, Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine National Police (PNP) Explosives and K9 Unit, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology-Department of Science and Technology, and Mati City’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
The event also showcased the crucial role of disaster responders, including the PNP, BFP, local RRMOs and civilian volunteers, who often face significant risks during natural calamities and humanitarian crises. (PNA)
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