ODIONGAN, Romblon (PIA) — Barangay officials in the MIMAROPA region are well-trained and prepared to act as first responders during calamities, according to Marc Rembrandt Victore, Officer In Charge of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Division of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) MIMAROPA.
Speaking at the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas forum, Victore highlighted OCD MIMAROPA’s continuous efforts in assisting barangays in preparing for emergencies by equipping them with the necessary skills and resources to serve as effective first responders.
“We are investing and highly engaging especially with Barangay DRRM committees because if the barangay is capacitated, even if not 100%, we can be confident that they will have a program or take the correct action once a calamity occurs,” he explained.
In Romblon, the local government will be facilitating an Incident Command System training for 31 Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee chairpersons. This training aims to provide barangay captains with a robust understanding of ICS concepts, enhancing their ability to manage disasters efficiently.
The OCD, Department of Science and Technology, and the Romblon Provincial and Municipal DRRMO support the training.
To help barangay officials respond quickly, OCD is prepositioning non-food items in island barangays to ensure that aid can be delivered as fast as needed. These efforts complement the prepositioning of food items by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
“At any given time, they are ready to be deployed, and aid can be delivered faster to those in need because previously, these items had to come from Manila or the OCD regional office. This is our strategy because our region is truly unique,” Victore added.
He also mentioned that the provincial government of Romblon is investing in sea and land assets, including sea ambulances, to bolster disaster response capabilities in the province. (PJF/PIA MIMAROPA-Romblon)
