The City Government of Davao, through the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) and the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), has started the series of five-day disaster resilience capacity building targeting flood prone barangays that declared state of calamity in 2024.
CSWDO Emergency Section Head Annabelle Lugo told Madayaw Davao on the sidelines of the second day of training held at the Talomo B Barangay Hall, that the purpose of the five-day training is to prepare communities in case of eventualities and empower them to actively respond in case of emergencies.
“Actually, naa ta karon five days training actually lima ni ka batch, gipahigayon ni didto sa mga barangay nga na-declare under state of calamity atong January 2024 (Actually, our five-day training is ongoing. This training will have five batches and is conducted in barangays that declared under state of calamity in January 2024),” Lugo said.
The training participants, according to Lugo, are youth, solo parents, women, and persons with disabilities. They focus on the residents, underscoring that they will become volunteer forces, augmenting the trained barangay responders and Central 911 personnel.
“Nagtutok mi karon lumulopyo sa ground kasi sila dapat ang first responder. Ilang makat-onan diri dili lang nila magamit sa ilahang barangay pero magamit nila mismo sa ilahang panimalay (We are focusing on the people on the ground because they are supposed to be the first responders. They can use the insights and learning from the training, not only in their barangays but in their homes as well),” Lugo said.
In the course of the five-day training, the participants will be able to learn community organizing, fire suppression, basic life support, radio operation and many more skills.
On the last day they will also undergo a simulation exercise or Simex in the emergency situation.
“Everybody should have a vital role in disaster response,” she said, adding that every skill or knowledge, even how small it is, if applied during a disaster situation can be a big help to the community, to the government at the onset of calamity.
Lugo said that they will also conduct training at Talomo A for the second batch, City Poblacion A for the third batch, Buhangin A for the fourth batch, and Bunawan, San isidro, and Barangay Lasang for the fifth batch. CIO