45% of Bohol town DRRMs 

hold lockdown ‘simex’

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, July 25 (PIA) -- Only 45 percent or 22 local government units (LGUs) here have conducted their Barangay Lockdown and Contact Tracing simulation exercises (SIMEX), according to the Provincial Disaster and Risk Reduction Management (PDRRM) Office during a recent interview.

The ideal scenario is for all towns to have conducted at least one lockdown simex. 

That same day when the PDRRM also conducted a Barangay Lockdown and Contact Tracing orientation in San Miguel town on July 23, PDRRM Officer Dr. Anthony Damalerio bared that the 23 LGUs have initially written their intent to the governor so they can have the training for free.

The training would allow community residents to experience a “lockdown” in cases where the government implements measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, even if the SIMEX is a simulation of the real thing.

A simex allows local government leaders, government agencies such as the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Department of Health to coordinate in plotting their moves to implement a full lockout and effect the intent of the activity.

With the COVID-19 pandemic threatening Bohol and its communities, a simex would expose to authorities the strengths and weaknesses as observed during the simulation so that these are remedied and assure people that their leaders would know what to do when the time comes, explained Damalerio during the Kapihan sa PIA. 

Moreover, this also allows communities to get a feel of how a lockdown is managed and how they can help contain and isolate the people from the area in lockdown, he added.

"Even if we have done this countless of times, we know there is no perfect simulation exercise, there are still things we need to perfect, as these can be the causes of spreading infection instead," he said. 

In Bohol, according to the PRDDMO, the following LGUs have completed the Barangay Lockdown and Contact Tracing Exercise: Tagbilaran City, Baclayon, Dimiao, Calape, Alicia, Antequera, Batuan, Buenavista, Candijay, Carmen, Catigban, Clarin, Corella, Dagohoy, Danao, Dauis, Duero, Loboc, Maribojoc, Pilar, Trinidad, and Ubay.

Damalerio urged LGUS to write to the governor and ask for a free PDRRM training and simulation so they too can start working for a more comprehensive containment response especially now that Bohol has recorded local transmission of the virus.

He said the PDRRM office can send a team to train the municipal DRRM and the allied agencies who will implement the lockdowns, so they can coordinate and work together on a fail-safe plan to make sure their goals are met.

This, too, despite the physical distancing measures implemented which has affected the number of participants during the PDRRM training.

“We have permission from the provincial government and the Inter Agency Task Force to continue with our capacity building training for local government units as long as we follow the health and safety mandates,” the PDRRMO said.

He added that many people expect the PDRRM activities to be scrapped this year as the provincial government has used their office’s budget for the COVID response.

"But, no we did not stop because we know we cannot stop helping communities in preparing and putting up disaster mitigation measures," Damalerio noted. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

HOW WOULD THEY KNOW IF THEY DO NOT TRY? Provincial Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Officer Dr. Anthony Damalerio (left) said that simulation exercises would allow communities to get a glimpse of what to do when the right time comes. Unfortunately, amid the health crisis, less than half of Bohol's towns have experienced a simex on lockdowns. (PIA Bohol)

REQUEST FOR TRAINING. Bohol PDRRMO Dr. Anthony Damalerio has urged LGUs and groups who have been seeking for Basic Medical First Aid, Basic Cadio-Pulmonary Resuscitation, High Angle Rescue, Basic Mountain Search and Rescue, Water Search and Rescue Basic Fire Rescue and simulation exercises to write the Capitol to request for the trainings. (PIA Bohol)