THE Office of Civil Defense-Davao Region (OCD-Davao) aims to make all five million residents of the region disaster-resilient.
During the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas on Tuesday morning, August 20, 2024, at NCCC Victoria Plaza, OCD-Davao Regional Director Ednar Dayanghirang shared that their office plans to equip every resident with the knowledge and skills needed to be prepared for disasters.
“Disaster resilience o yung katatagan natin against the man-made or natural disasters should be embodied by all residents of the community so in the case of Davao region 5 million people ang ating tinatarget must be resilient (Disaster resilience or our ability to withstand man-made or natural disasters should be embodied by all community residents. In the case of the Davao Region, our target is to make all 5 million people resilient),” he said.
Dayanghirang added that their office plans to conduct various drills, such as earthquake and tsunami drills, particularly in communities and schools prone to disasters.
He emphasized their ongoing collaboration with the Department of Education (DepEd), noting that these drills now include school principals.
He recently briefed around 300 principals in Davao de Oro and plans to expand this effort to other areas in the region.
OCD-Davao is also partnering with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and other agencies for the national earthquake drill, with plans to extend this to a national tsunami drill. They are preparing a tsunami drill covering coastal barangays from Sarangani to Boston, ensuring residents know how to respond to a tsunami.
Dayanghirang recounted an incident in Davao City where a false tsunami warning caused public panic due to a misunderstood call for a child named “ChonaMae.” He underscored the importance of training communities to recognize real tsunami signs by observing the ocean. RGP