The Provincial Government of Negros Occidental spearheaded the First Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Summit held at Mambukal Convention Center, Mambukal Resort in Murcia, today.
The event was participated in by all LGU chief executives, DRRM officers, and other guests.
One of the objectives of the activity is to issue a unified disaster response protocol to be adopted and followed uniformly during emergency and disaster situations.
Gov. Bong Lacson said that it is only through the effective management of conditions of hazards, exposure, and vulnerability that the people and the government can prevent losses and ease the impacts of disasters.
“Since we cannot control the severity of natural hazards, our window for reducing risk lies in reducing vulnerability and exposure,” he said.
The governor also cited the expansion of the scope of services of the Provincial Disaster Management Office that effectively matched the need for emergency response, including the One Hospital Command, Emergency Rescue 911, and Command and Response Center, as well as the improvement of the Automated Early Warning System with repeaters installed in LGU critical areas to improve the response of concerned barangays in times of emergency.
Sessions in the training workshop include Strategies for Managing Mental Health and Stress in the Workplace, Introduction to Incident Command System (ICS), ICS Organization and Staffing, ICS Facilities, and Managing Planned Events and Major Incidents, among others.
Also present in the activity were Provincial Administrator, Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, and Provincial Disaster Management Program Division Head, Dr. Zeaphard Caelian, among others.
The activity is part of the observance of the National Disaster Resilience Month this July.
