The emergency response team based in Can-avid, Eastern Samar, eagerly anticipates a highly detailed disaster preparedness drill at the upcoming Regional Rescue Jamboree (RRJ) 2024 from July 3 to July 9.
“We anticipate that the rescue personnel’s abilities will be improved with this RRJ 2024, leading to increased community participation in disaster preparedness and ensuring the smooth event’s conduct,” said Lorence D. Odicta, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) staff in Can-avid, Eastern Samar.
One of the identified activities for the RRJ 2024 is the various skills lectures and discussions, specifically on different search, rescue, and retrieval disciplines and disaster response systems, as specified by Regional Director Lord Byron P. Torrecarion of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Eastern Visayas.
Torrecarion added that the lectures are intended to keep local responders updated on the latest theories and ensure their response operations align with the standards.
Meanwhile, Danilo L. Atienza of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) in Southern Leyte said their province will host the regional event with an expected 1,500 participants.
Local disaster risk reduction and management offices, members of local disaster risk reduction and management councils, and registered volunteers, with an average of 10 participants per local government unit (LGU) actively involved, as specified by Atienza.
According to Torrecarion, it is essential to provide first responders with training and resources so they can effectively respond and pass on their knowledge and skills to others.
“On behalf of the LGU in Can-avid, we would like to extend our support to the upcoming Regional Rescue Jamboree in 2024 in Sogod, Southern Leyte, and we look forward to the event’s success,” Odicta expressed his message of support to RRJ 2024.
The OCD organized the RRJ 2024, in coordination with the Department of the Interior and Local Government, PDRRMO in Southern Leyte, and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
As the dates approach, excitement and anticipation are building among the participating teams. The RRJ 2024 not only promises to enhance their disaster response skills but also to foster a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose among the diverse group of responders towards disaster resilience and community preparedness. (AAC, PIA Leyte with reports from PIA intern Jevilyn D. Balarasa)
