TACLOBAN CITY — The city government of Borongan is strengthening its preparedness for possible earthquakes and tsunamis through a four-day contingency planning workshop attended by key government agencies, city departments and partner organizations.
The 32-hour workshop was held from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2 and organized by the Borongan City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) in coordination with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
The activity sought to improve the capacity of local responders and participating organizations to prepare for, mitigate and respond to earthquake and tsunami hazards through coordinated disaster operations.
Participants underwent lectures and hands-on exercises on various aspects of contingency planning, including the formulation of a contingency plan, the functions of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), the purpose and application of the Incident Command System (ICS), and the roles and responsibilities of different response clusters.
At the end of the workshop, participants were tasked to develop an earthquake and tsunami contingency plan that would address the vulnerabilities, risks and needs of communities exposed to the hazards.
The plan is expected to serve as a guide for local responders and participating organizations in coordinating their actions before, during and after an earthquake or tsunami emergency.
Facilitators included Bryan Soledad, cadre and affiliate of OCD Region 8; Jake Brandon Lorenzo Agda, administration and training chief of the Borongan CDRRMO; Aldrin Abunda, research and planning chief of the CDRRMO; and Jerome Paldez of the San Jorge Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
The workshop forms part of the city government’s continuing efforts to strengthen disaster preparedness, improve coordination among response agencies and ensure a more organized response to earthquake and tsunami emergencies.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
