By Cathrine Tzaris Pagatpatan
DAVAO CITY — In preparation for the drafting of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Plan, the PMDC’s Interim Planning Committee together with the Gender Focal Point System and OSH Committee organized the DRRM for the Public Sector Training last March 25-27, 2025. The DRRM for the Public Sector was facilitated by the Office of the Civil Defense XI. The training was actively participated by the PMDC’s key personnel including some of the members of the PMDC Board.
The preparatory training course was organized in order to equip the PMDC personnel who shall be involved in the preparation and implementation of the PMDC’s DRRM Plan under Strategic Objective 8- Inclusive DRRM for External and Internal Customers for approval by the PMDC Board. The DRRM Plan will be submitted to the GCG, which is one of the targets in the PES for CY 2025 under the Learning and Growth Perspective. RA 10121 calls for the need to capacitate all stakeholders of society in DRRM and ultimately achieve the NDRRMC’s vision of safe, adaptive, and disaster-resilient communities towards sustainable development. The scope of work in DRRM particularly includes public sector employees or workers in the government service.
Specifically, under Section 14 of RA 10121, all public sector employees are mandated to be trained in emergency response and preparedness. Further, under Rule 8 Section 1 of the IRR, there is a need to train public sector individuals both local and national in DRRM-related subjects. Building the DRRM capacities of public sector employees is vital to help mainstream DRRM in all government-related services. Also, during emergencies, public sector employees can help in ensuring the continuity of government services by addressing the risks associated with disasters.
Moreover, one of the highlights during the training was the earthquake drill and simulation led by the OSH Committee. The primary goal of the drill was to evaluate the effectiveness of PMDC’s earthquake preparedness plan, including evacuation procedures, communication protocols, and the readiness of the Disaster Control Group (DCG).
The drill allowed participants to actively practice the “duck, cover, and hold” procedure and other safety measures they have been taught in the theoretical sessions. The drill allowed the participants to physically practice the established earthquake response procedures and to experience how the Incident Command System (ICS) structure is activated including how different roles within the Disaster Control Group (DCG) function during an emergency scenario. This hands-on experience clarifies responsibilities and reporting lines.
By working together in a simulated scenario under the ICS framework, participants enhanced their ability to coordinate effectively as part of the Disaster Control Group. The earthquake drill within this specific training context served as a practical application of the DRRM principles and the ICS framework.