The Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) will be conducting a simultaneous disaster preparedness exercise along the Matina River and Talomo River on July 29 as part of its celebration of the National Disaster Resilience Month.
CDRRMO Training Section Chief Erlianne Marie Martinez said over 500 people are expected to join the drill which will be testing the readiness of disaster response mechanisms of barangays situated near the Matina and Talomo rivers.
âAng objective po ani is to capacitate, especially ang barangay-level na disaster response, para ma-determine kung well-equipped na ba sila ⊠ug dili na kinahanglan pa, as much as possible, mag-source out from other areas. Kung makaya gyud, sila mismo on the site and maka-react (The objective of this is to capacitate, especially the disaster response at barangay-level, in order to determine if they are well-equipped ⊠and if, as much as possible, they will no longer have to source out from other areas),â she said during the I-Speak media forum on Thursday.
An emergency evacuation scenario will be simulated during the drill. Emergency medical aid, search and rescue, and other first responder activities will also be simulated in the exercise.
Martinez said this will be participated in by the Barangay Disaster Response Teams as well as the residents of Barangays Talomo Proper, Matina Pangi, Matina Aplaya and Matina Crossing.
Martinez said barangays in high-risk areas already have the equipment for disaster response. Many barangays, she added, were able to test their abilities in utilizing this equipment during the First Responder Obstacle Course held at the Davao Crocodile Park on July 19 to 21.
Martinez urged residents in the concerned barangays to participate in the river-wide drill. CIO
