Bohol disaster officer 

rates resilience at 8

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol July 20 (PIA)—In a scale of one to ten, we are about 8, rates Bohol local disaster and risk reduction management officer Dr. Anthony Damalerio when asked about the over-all local preparedness in terms of disaster. 

The rating is deemed already high in reference to other local government units which have still to gather and integrate their disaster preparedness and response, especially with the country sitting right in the middle of the typhoon belt, in the ring of fire, along a crisscross of faults that could generate earthquakes, and easily vulnerable to storm surges, tsunamis and a cocktail of man-made disasters needing immediate responses. 

The Provincial Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) is now embarking on the conduct of Barangay Emergency Management Training (BEMT) in a bid to set in place a coordinated disaster response. 

This is despite the fact that disaster risk management and mitigation can be always be dependent on the kind of disaster threatening each barangay, according to PRDDMC action officer Dr. Anthony Damalerio, during the recent Kapihan sa PIA tackling disaster resilience of Bohol. 

We are very happy that Bohol is bullish in its preparation especially in the barangay levels with the BEMT, Damalerio said, adding that this puts a quick response team in the towns. 

After a sad experience with the 2013 earthquake that hit Bohol and brought it to the ground, local officials have finally taken a second hard look at disaster preparedness. 

The Disaster and Risk reduction Management Act of RA 10121 helped, added Damalerio who said that while this may not yet be the best, it has placed the country among the first to institutionalize disaster resilience by developing capacities of individuals in disaster management. 

In Bohol, the local association of municipal disaster risk reduction management officers, along with Bohol’s Emergency Response arm is keeping their schedules filled in training and capacitating LGUs in disaster response and mitigation. 

Anent to this, Damalerio reported that a standard protocol in Bohol is the calling of a Pre Disaster Risk Assessment, so that local governments could also be part of the planning and response while the provincial government can orchestrate and preposition its resources ins strategic areas for quicker response and relief operations. 

As mandated by law, local government units are now stockpiling emergency relief goods which can be dispatched to areas in crisis, apart for the provincial and the national government aid, he noted. 

He said these teams have been offering other capacity building training which includes guidance to LGUs on the use of disaster funds, setting up of emergency response teams, disaster evacuation planning, earthquake drills and their conduct, Basic First Aid, Cardio pulmonary Resuscitation, Emergency Vehicle Operators Course, High altitude rescue, Water search and rescue, as well as basic life support. 

Bohol has also an institutionalized telephone, mobile and radio integrated fire alarms and emergency rescue and dispatch system called TaRSIER 117. 

The acronym means Telephone and Radio Systems Integrated Emergency Response 117, which has been hailed as among the country’s advanced emergency quick response teams. 

Over the years however, people have seen that while disasters can not be stopped, its effects can be mitigated and communities can be prepared to score high in resilience and survive these tests of nature and man. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol) 

Disaster and risk reduction management council action officer Dr. Anthony Damalerio continues to urge Boholanos to make disaster prevention and mitigation a daily philosophy even as authorities strive to increase the levels of local readiness against any eventuality. (rahc/PIA07/Bohol)