ILOILO City is leading disaster preparedness and resilience efforts as it hosts the first Kabalaka Expo on August 29–30, 2025, at Convention Drive, Iloilo Business Park, Megaworld.
The two-day event, organized by the City Government and the Office of the Civil Defense in Western Visayas (OCD 6), will gather 22 exhibitors from local government units, academe, civil society organizations, and the private sector.
The expo aims to equip residents with life-saving knowledge while showcasing innovations in climate and disaster risk reduction.
Darwin Joemil Papa, chief of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) Quick Response Division, said on August 27 that the program aims to address climate and disaster risk, equip Ilonggos with vital knowledge and skills for survival, and highlight advancements in risk reduction and resilience.
Interactive features include advocacy booths, videos, and creative resilience activities such as the Kabalaka Gallery, Kabalaka Camp, Bureau of Fire Protection Roadshow, and Rappelling Station.
A Response Assets Exhibition will also highlight rescue vehicles and specialized equipment, while Kabalaka Talk will present 10–15-minute discussions from 15 resource speakers on disaster preparedness and community resilience.
OCD 6 Operations Section Chief lawyer Melissa Banias underscored the importance of readiness, stressing that disaster management is a shared responsibility.
The primary focus is on preparedness rather than solely on the response.
Banias intends to highlight the preparedness levels of the Iloilo City Government and other stakeholders, such as schools.
The expo serves as a platform for learning, collaboration, and innovation, aiming to foster safer, adaptive, and disaster-resilient Filipino citizens in alignment with sustainable development goals and closer stakeholder relationships.
The press conference was attended by Darryl Darwyn Thulasidas, chief of CDRRMO Urban Search and Rescue, and Sharry Ledesma, officer-in-charge of the CDRRMO Partnership Division.
Kabalaka, short for Kahublagan sa Barangay para sa Lapnagon nga Kahandaan sa Kalamidad, remains the city’s flagship program for community-based disaster preparedness, climate adaptation, and volunteerism.
To complement the expo, a total of 2,000 hygiene kits from the OCD Central Office have been prepositioned at the OCD 6 warehouse in Iloilo City to ensure readiness for possible adverse weather in Western Visayas.
Personnel from the Iloilo City Police Office (Icpo) assisted in hauling and transporting the kits as part of the agency’s preparedness measures for immediate support to affected communities.
Earlier this month, OCD 6 also prepositioned another 2,000 hygiene kits at Camp Hernandez in Dingle, Iloilo, to strengthen its disaster response capability across the region. (Leo Solinap)