The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will be opening a center for disaster preparedness training to help capacitate emergency and calamity responders and improve disaster and crisis response.
MMDA Acting Chairman Atty. Don Artes said they saw gaps in rescuer capacity-building and training after the Abra quake last year, prompting them to plan for a training center.
“The agency saw the need to build a center that will focus on disaster response to empower rescuers and provide those affected by disasters with immediate assistance,” Artes said.
The over one-hectare center will be built on a vacant property of the MMDA at the Carmona Sanitary Landfill in Cavite City will be equipped with facilities and tools for experiential learning.
The center’s Rappelling tower, Confined Space Structure, Wrecked Building with Structure Rubble Pile, and Pancake Collapsed Structure will simulate real-life rescue scenarios.
It is set to be opened before year end to initially accommodate17 Metro Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices before expanding coverage to all rescuers of other provinces.
“We will provide them with two-week trainor’s training using our existing equipment, such as life locators and vibrascopes, among others, so we can produce more rescuers that can extend immediate disaster response assistance to nearby areas should an earthquake occur,” Artes said.
The center is part of the preparations to minimize the impact and damages of the 7.2-magnitude quake dubbed as “The Big One” that can hit Metro Manila.
The estimated death toll of which is 35,000. Injuries can reach 120,000 and economic loss can balloon to P2.5 trillion pesos. – Katrina Gracia Consebido-ag
