THE Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-Davao Region is targeting to construct a multi-million training institute in Barangay Bago Oshiro, Tugbok District, Davao City that is seen to capacitate responders in preparation for possible disaster that may hit Mindanao and to help other Southeast Asian countries as part of the Asean agreement.
Speaking during the Kapehan sa PIA at NCCC Buhangin last Friday, OCD-Davao information officer Leslie Francisco said the P50-million initial budget for this project has already been downloaded to their office this year which will be used for the construction of the building.
It will be erected in the Regional Government Center located in Barangay Bago Oshiro where the OCD was given a lot. At present, they are in the process of ironing out the documents before starting with the construction.
In that lot, they will construct a three-story building and a warehouse where they will stock their non-food items like generators, tents, sleeping mats, among others. They are in constant coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), as the head of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC), when it comes to food items which will be given to disaster victims.
“Ang gusto nila per island region naay isa ka training institute. So naa naman sa Luzon, sa Visayas so maghimo pod sa Davao nga naay training institute kung asa i-conduct ang mga response training,” Francisco said, adding that if there are already training institute here in Mindanao, responders do not have to fly to Manila to undergo training.
The training institute will also be equipped with dormitories where the participants will stay instead of checking in to hotels which are more expensive on the part of the government.
Mindanao is also a strategic place to put up the warehouse considering that it is near the neighboring Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia and Malaysia where these two nations and the Philippines are located in the Pacific Ring of Fire.
“Naa man tay Asean agreement, among 10 countries sa Asean, ang three ana ang Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippine naa sa Pacific Ring of Fire. Ang tulo mas prone sa disaster. Naa sa Mindanao ang strategic location in case nga naay mutual aiding nga kailangan nila mag-request og assistance pwede magamit ang warehouse. Unlike muadto pa og Manila layo pa ang Indonesia og Malaysia,” she added.