(Photo courtesy: Civil Defense NCR Facebook page)
MANILA, (PIA) — The Metro Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MMDRRMC) has convened a briefing for the council members, NCR Incident Management Team and other stakeholders, and held a ceremonial signing of Delegation of Authority (DOA) ahead of the Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction 2024 (APMC-DRR 2024).
The APMC-DRR 2024 will be held from October 14-17, 2024 and is being hosted by the Philippines in partnership with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). The conference will bring together representatives from various countries, intergovernmental and international organizations, private sectors, academia, and other stakeholder groups.
“This year’s hosting will be held under the theme ‘Search for 2030: Enhancing Ambitious and National Security to Accelerate Disaster Risk Reduction,’” said concurrent MMDRRMC and MMDA Chairperson Atty. Romando Artes during the event held at the Office of Civil Defense New Administrative Building, Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. “In order for these events to be successful, the host government must ensure the safety and security of the delegates and attendees for the entire duration.”
The MMDRRMC has been tasked by the Committee on Security, Peace and Order, and Emergency Preparedness and Response (CSPOEPR) to handle emergency preparedness and response efforts during this time period.
“Under this committee, the task group on Emergency Preparedness and Response falls under the leadership of DRRM practitioners through the national, regional, and local DRRM councils,” Artes explained.
Key points discussed include the deployment schedule of the Regional Incident Management Team (RIMT), the elevation of the alert level to “C”, which will be handled at the regional level, and the succession of command roles.
Also highlight of the activity was the formal signing of the delegation of authority by the Incident Commander, Dr. Joseph Bacareza, with Mr. Aldrin Cuña as deputy, solidifying the operational framework for the event.
Incident Commander Dr. Joseph Bacareza (left) poses with MMDA’s Mr. Pablo Bautista Jr., who represented MMDRRMC Chairperson Atty. Romando Artes. (Photo: Civil Defense NCR Facebook page)
Among the members of the Regional IMT include:
Private – Dr. Joseph Bacareza
NDCP – Aldrin Cuña
QCDRRMO – Ramon Jose
BFP NCR – Leo Azores
505th SRG – Erwen Diploma
MMDA – Sharon Berganio
QCDRRMO – Rizhelle Apo
QCDRRMO – Angelo Padua
505th SRG – Darwin Esguerra
BFP NCR SRU – Ryan Zaldy Abrera
Parañaque DRRMO – Amy Gumboc
Parañaque DRRMO – Richard Avila
MMCHD – Wilchard Lanario
DOST NCR – Jan Rose Bravo
MMDA- Eddie Garcia
MMDA- Micah Navarro
MANILA DRRMO- Michael Joseph Manuel
OCD-NCR – Karla Aldea
PIA-NCR – Jerome Carlo Paunan
OCD Director Jose Harry Barber, who represented OCD Administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno, Director Edgar Posadas, MMDRRMC Senior Vice Chair and Office of Civil Defense-NCR Director George F. Keyser, and Mr. Pablo Bautista Jr., representing Atty. Artes, are present during the activity. Representatives from various member agencies and partners also participated.
OCD Director Jose Harry Barber (left) with MMDRRMC Senior Vice Chair and OCD-NCR Director George F. Keyser, and Dr. Joseph Bacareza (Photo: Civil Defense NCR Facebook page)
The key objectives of the EPR task group are:
- To ensure the safety of all delegates, participants, and the general public, as well as manage any eventualities that may arise during the conference activities.
- To ensure the effective deployment of the Incident Management Team and other rapid response teams to address any emergencies.
- To ensure the safety and welfare of the Incident Management Team through the implementation of proposed systems, plans, and procedures.
Director Keyser, for his part, expressed gratitude to all stakeholders who have contributed to the preparations, including the OCD office under Usec. Ariel Nepomuceno’s leadership, the NCR local government units, and NCR government agencies.
“Our timely formation and dedicated resources are crucial to our response efforts,” said Keyser. “We once again rely on your exceptional support to submit your incident action plan, EOC (emergency operations center) action plan, and other pertinent documents to ensure the safety and success of this significant event.”
The APMC-DRR 2024 is the primary regional platform for implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction in Asia. The conference has been held every two years since 2005, rotating through nine Asia-Pacific regions including China, India, Malaysia, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Mongolia, and Australia. (JCO/PIA-NCR)
