TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (PIA) – – All local government units in the Cagayan Valley Region are well capacitated and prepared to respond to the effects of disaster in the region, Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) Region 2 said.
Regional Director Leon DG. Rafael, Jr. said the zero or low casualty rate recorded in the previous calamities in the region is attributed to the preparedness and mitigation efforts of the local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (DRRMC) and the cooperation of the public.
He said all provinces, cities, and municipalities have their respective DRRM offices with response equipment and well-trained responders.
The civil defense office conducted 76 trainings for various LGUs and rescue teams from 2022 to 2023. For this year, 15 capacity-building activities were already conducted.
“One of our primary mandates is to develop, recognize, and strengthen the capacities of LGUs and communities, including vulnerable and marginalized groups, to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from the effects of disasters,” Rafael said.
He also lauded local officials for investing much in disaster mitigation and preparedness as well as for equipping their workforce on rescue operations and for enabling quick rehabilitation and recovery every time there are calamities in the region.
Rafael also thanked various partner agencies and organizations for collaborating with them during response operations, especially those involved in the conduct of rapid disaster assessment and needs analysis, and during relief operations in the hard-to-reach and isolated areas.
“We also commend our partner agencies and volunteer groups who are ready always to serve whenever we need them for response operations, especially our air assets as we have remote and isolated areas that we need to serve immediately after a calamity,” he added.
The director further said the regional council continuously conducts awareness campaigns to make the public aware of and be capacitated on the proper response to any disaster eventuality. (OTB/PIA Region 2)
