TABUK CITY, Kalinga – In response to the challenges Kalinga encountered from the wrath of Super Typhoon Lawin, the Office of Civil Defense Cordillera (OCD-CAR) started to roll out its capability-building programs in the province of Kalinga this year.
Two training courses were conducted in the province aiming to equip Kalingas with the fundamentals of disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) and to help enhance their skills and knowledge by introducing the incident command system.
On January 10 to 12, 2017, forty (40) student leaders were taught on the country’s DRRM system, climate change, and different hazards through the three-day Basic DRRM training.
The training course included lessons from past major disasters in our country and the four thematic areas of DRRM. Participants were also taught about basic first aid and handling of injured victims.
Another three-day Basic Incident Command System (ICS) training course was held from January 24 to 26, 2017 for members of the Search Rescue and Retrieval (SRR) cluster personnel of the 503rd Brigade of the Philippine Army and Kalinga police officers.
The program targets to enhance understanding of ICS as a vital tool for effective disaster response. It provides an overview of the background, concepts, principles, and features of the incident command system while demonstrating knowledge of basic ICS functions through exercises and class discussions.
“We aim to institutionalize ICS at the provincial level. This is to ensure that local government units remain top performers in situations needing emergency response as the first line of defense” said OCD-CAR Dir Andrew Alex Uy.
By Rozienna Rosales and Celina Cleofe Padernal