THE Office of Civil Defense Information in the Davao Region (OCD-Davao Region) is actively promoting the adoption of the Exercise Design Course (EDC) among local agencies within the region.
The initiative aims to enable these agencies to conduct more effective drills and exercises.
In a recent radio interview on Tuesday morning, August 5, Karlo Alexie Puerto, OCD-Davao Region information officer, likened the EDC to a real-life calamity simulation, providing a valuable platform for refining and perfecting the execution of protocols related to disaster response.
OCD-Davao Region has been offering the EDC for some time now, and the training can be completed in just five days. The primary objective is to equip all local government units with the skills to conduct drills and exercises proficiently.
Puerto stressed the importance of regular exercises and drills for preparedness, emphasizing that waiting until a disaster strikes to rehearse is not advisable.
"Kung naa na ang disaster diha pa nimo rehersan kay lain kaayo paminawon (It would be unfortunate to rehearse when the disaster is already upon us)," Puerto said.
The EDC is not limited to natural disasters but can also be applied in armed conflict and terrorism. Puerto underscored the need for proactive planning to ensure the smooth execution of exercises.
Puerto further explained that crafting an EDC is a meticulous process involving multiple steps. Agencies must first identify the type of exercise they wish to conduct, whether a discussion-based or operational activity. This initial step is just the beginning of the EDC creation process.
Even in the case of routine exercises like earthquake drills, the public and private sectors must adhere to numerous procedural steps to effectively prepare participants. The core concepts, plans, policies, and procedures used in these drills are all incorporated into the EDC.
As the Third Quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) is scheduled for Thursday, September 7, at around 2 p.m., the OCD strongly encourages the adoption of EDC to ensure preparedness and successful execution of the event. RGP