The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VIII, in celebration of the 2019 National Disaster Resilience Month, organized a one-day exhibit showing the various resources of each member agency of the Disaster Response Cluster of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC).
Held late last week at the Tacloban City Hall Grounds, DSWD displayed an array of services under the agency’s response, like family food packs containing six kilos of rice, four cans of corned beef, four cans of meat/beef loaf and six sachets of coffee, the Go Bag, first aid kits and rescue equipment such as helmets and a spine board. Photos of DSWD’s relief operations during the first semester of 2019 were also put on exhibit.
According to OIC Pauline Liza Nadera of DSWD FO VIII’s Disaster Response Management Division, “We cannot prevent the storms. However, this exhibit is a testament that we have learned. We have risen from the storms, and with the cooperation of our partners and the different agencies, we can bring help to those who are in need.”
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), the Tacloban Rescue Unit (TacRU), the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Army showcased the equipment for rescue operations, that included helmets, spine boards, first aid kits, rescue tools such as axes and sledgehammers, as well as specialist equipment like power tools for the extraction of motor vehicle accident victims, a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), and a chainsaw.
The Department of Education (DepEd), meanwhile, highlighted the safety equipment used in schools that spells readiness of the students during disasters, while The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) displayed firefighting equipment used during grassfires. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), on the other hand, had for their exhibit oil spill control equipment, satellite equipment, patrol boat, and sea rescue equipment including wetsuits, scuba gear and masks.
Access 5 has their High Frequency (HF) and Very High Frequency (VHF) radio equipment and highlighted their advocacy for the use of these radio equipment, especially during disasters when conventional phone reception is unavailable.Aside from showcasing these resources, the exhibit also showed that the Disaster Response Cluster is prepared to augment the Local Government Units when needed during disaster response.
Newly-installed DSWD Regional Director Marie Angela Gopalan, in an interview, pointed, however, that even with all the available resources of member agencies, disaster preparedness should begin at home. “It should start with one’s self,” she said.
Photo credits Jhoanne Cuesta, Marthea Clarisse Espiritu
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