BAGUIO CITY (PIA) – – With the region’s experiences in the two strong earthquakes in the second semester of 2022, the Cordillera Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CRDRRMC) led a review and updating of the existing Regional Disaster Response Plan (RDRP) for earthquake.
Members of the CRDRRMC Response Clusters looking into good practices, gaps and challenges during the response operations in the two northwestern Luzon earthquakes that affected Cordillera in the second semester of 2022. (CCD/PIA CAR)
The Office of Civil Defense led other CRDRRMC Response Cluster agencies for a writeshop for the RDRP for Earthquake recently at Hotel Elizabeth here to incorporate to the plan the lessons learned from the 2022 earthquakes and the threats and challenges of the new normal, as well as new DRRM – related guidelines and policies from the national and international levels.
Cordillera’s RDRP for earthquake was crafted in 2017 and was first tested during the two strong Northwestern Luzon earthquakes in 2022 – the July 27 magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Tayum Abra and the magnitude October 26 magnitude 6.4 earthquake in Lagayan Abra.
In revisiting and updating the plan, the CRDRRMC technical working group looked again into the important things to do before, during and after an earthquake in each response clusters that include: camp coordination and management; food and non – food items; health; education; emergency telecommunication;
engineering and road clearing and management; search, rescue and retrieval; peace and order; management of the dead and missing; and crisis communication.
CRDRRMC Chairperson and OCD – CAR Regional Director Albert Mogol, the participants to come up with an enhanced regional response plan that can help save lives and make Cordillera communities resilient.
“While we saw and operationalized the effectiveness of the current Regional Disaster Response Plan (RDRP) for earthquake, we cannot deny the fact and in actual experience that we incurred some gaps, challenges and good practices, if not the best practices that may be considered in adjusting the plan”, Mogol said.
CRDRRMC Chairperson and OCD – CAR Regiional Director Albert Mogol calls for continuing support of the response cluster member agencies for a continuing united and cohesive pro-active stand in ensuring disaster resilient communities in Cordillera. (CCD/PIA CAR)
“Today, let us maximize this writeshop. Please be mindful that this is not an ordinary plan. This is a life – saving plan. We need to ensure that we consider all factors and the emerging realities of the present time in revitalizing our RDRP for earthquake”, he added.
CRDRRMC Vice Chairperson for Disaster Response and DSWD – CAR Regional Director Leo Quintilla outlines that the northwestern Luzon earthquakes have again tested the capacity of the council and the resiliency of Cordillera communities, thus taking ground from the experiences the region must come up with an updated and improved RDRP. (CCD/PIA CAR)
“The classic what went right, what went wrong and how to improve. What are the facilitating factors and hindrances in performing our roles in the plan? Let us review our actions against the plan, the deviation we did and their outcomes”, Quintilla said.
“Given our challenges, let us craft recommendations to update and improve our earthquake response. We cannot predict earthquakes, but we can prepare for an earthquake before it occurs,” he stressed.
The updated RDRP for earthquake is up for finalization and is targeted for presentation to the 2023 CRDRRMC first quarter full council meeting. (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)
