THE 1103rd Infantry Brigade (1103Bde) and partner agencies strengthened disaster preparedness in the geographically isolated island municipality of Pangutaran, Sulu.
The 1103Bde said selected individuals in Pangutaran completed a one-day Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) orientation and a three-day Basic Incident Command System (ICS) Training Level 1 on Tuesday, February 10.
The 1103Bde conducted the four-day activity with the Pangutaran Municipal Government, the Sulu Provincial Government Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and the 100th Infantry Battalion in partnership with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) 9.
“The closing and graduation ceremony marked not just the completion of a training program, but a significant leap forward in strengthening disaster preparedness in this geographically isolated island community,” the 1103Bde said.
The activity culminated in a full-scale simulation exercise where participants applied ICS principles in a multi-barangay emergency scenario. Local responders assumed roles as incident commander and officers for operations, planning, logistics, and finance.
Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Cabasan, 1103Bde commander, underscored the commitment of the brigade to complete ICS capacity-building across all eight municipalities in its area of responsibility. Cabasan said synchronized DRRM councils are critical in saving lives and minimizing disaster impacts in high-risk areas.
The 1103Bde previously conducted similar training in the mainland municipalities of Jolo, Patikul, Indanan, Maimbung, and Talipao.
Pangutaran Mayor Asri Taib said the training ensures faster and more coordinated action during emergencies. Taib said the municipality looks forward to the next level of ICS training to sustain the safety of its communities.
Pangutaran, a fourth-class municipality composed of 16 barangays, had a population of 36,374 as of the 2020 census. (SunStar Zamboanga)