THE National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Program (NDRRMC) is set to expand its program on disaster management for students under the National Service Training Program (NSTP).
NDRRMC Under Secretary Ricardo Jalad during a recent gathering in the Summer Capital envisions the major role of NSTP students who will be at par in keeping the country safe from disasters and ensuring quick recovery afterwards.
“We acknowledge the importance of what we may also term as force multipliers in the form of NSTP students who are set to undergo disaster management related courses during their studies in college,” Jalad said.
"After undergoing disaster related management courses under the NSTP, we expect these students to now be prepared to respond to natural calamities like typhoons and earthquakes if needed," Jalad added.
Once the enhanced NSTP curriculum have been put in place between the NDRRMC and the Commission on Higher Education (Ched), these students will now have the ability to monitor human-induced emergencies, such as armed conflicts and maritime accidents among others.
"The NDRRMC uses strategies to mitigate the impact of disasters and increase the resiliency of both the national government and local government units (LGUs) in the face of disasters to which being volunteers, these students will have the capacity to b ready in times of such incidents," Jalad said.
As a policy-making body, the NDRRMC is assigned to formulate a framework that will provide for a comprehensive, all hazards, multi-sectoral, inter-agency and community-based approach to disaster risk reduction and management according to Republic Act 10121 or the NDRRMC's enabling law.
rThe DRRM framework it created in June 2011 is integrated into the NDRRMC Plan which is implemented by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) under the Department of National Defense (DND).
It covers 4 DRRM aspects, namely: prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, and rehabilitation and recovery.
The Secretary of the DND chairs the NDRRMC, with the administrator of the OCD as executive director.