Disaster management council to endorse telco manual

THE Regional Disaster Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) Western Visayas will present and endorse the Rapid Emergency Telecommunications Team (RETT)-Western Visayas Operations Manual at the fourth quarter regular meeting of the council on November 15 in Iloilo City.

The operations manual was prepared by the Communications and Warning Group (CWG), headed by National Telecommunications (NTC) Regional Director Nestor Antonio Monroy, and was finalized recently for approval by the council in a regular meeting.

The manual provides guidance in the organization, processes and resources of RETT-Western Visayas.

It also supplements the Rapid Emergency Telecommunications Team Handbook of the NDRRMC.

As a management tool, it intends to guide the regional RETT to realize its objectives, while at the same time serve as template in establishing the RETT of the local DRRM in the region.

It is the outcome of numerous consultations among key participants of the RETT-Western Visayas and members of the CWG–RDRRMC.

The chair of the CWG being the focal person tasked to spearhead the creation of the RETT-Western Visayas was also tasked to craft this standard operating procedure in collaboration with Professor Anita Estela Monroy of the West Visayas State University, College of Arts and Science.

It will be recalled that the creation of RETT-Western Visayas was initiated during the Emergency Telecommunications Summit: ICT “Bayanihan” held July 7 to 8 in Iloilo City.

The activation of the local RETT is within the authority of the Office of Civil Defense being the lead agency of the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster and is tasked to provide operable and inter-operable telecommunications support before, during and after emergencies and disasters especially whenever it is beyond the capacity of local government units to do so.

The council will also tackle other disaster risk reduction and management concerns during the meeting. (PIA)