GENERAL SANTOS CITY (24 March 2015) – The Integrated Barangay Affairs and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) have conducted a Rapid Community Response Program (RCRP) to train barangay volunteers for calamity preparedness.
The RCRP was a two-day training-workshop implemented by the city government to equip residents of different barangays with the basics of disaster preparedness and mitigation skills.
The participating barangays were Baluan, Fatima, Lagao, San Isidro, San Jose and Sinawal.
CDRRMC action officer Bong Dacera handled the seminar and introduced the volunteers to the plausible hazards their respective barangays are prone to.
He also taught them how the CDRRMO analyzes community risk assessment and tools for hazard assessment.
A simulation drill was set on March 21 after the one-week planning.
“After the two-day classroom seminar, they will go down to the purok level and facilitate community organizing,” said Dacera.
“We give them one week to plan, and then the following week is the drill simulation of the first batch,” he added.
The RCRP is also part of the advocacy of City Mayor Ronnel Rivera to attain environmental security and rehabilitation through disaster risk resilience.
The city mayor plans to make the activity regular in order to empower barangays in times of disaster or emergency. (Gensan CPIO/ Sharmagne Villacastin)
