BACOLOD CITY — Acting Iloilo City Mayor Jose Espinosa III has ordered the Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) to craft an emergency response protocol in reference to the Oct. 14 incident when a Cebu Pacific aircraft swerved and got stuck at the Iloilo International Airport runway.
The protocol would include, among others, the conduct of evacuation and identification of possible emergency and evacuation centers, should a similar incident happen in the future.
The crafting of a protocol came after a meeting between officials of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and Cebu Pacific Air and Espinosa on Thursday where he was briefed on the various efforts undertaken by concerned agencies during the incident.
In an interview Thursday afternoon, Espinosa said he was informed during the meeting that hospitals within the vicinity of the airport were identified to serve during emergency cases.
Espinosa, however, said in such incidents, city hospitals are “more equipped”, especially for burn cases.
The CDRRMO was also instructed to look into the burn units of hospitals in the city.
“Not all hospitals are equipped with burn unit protocol. We will work together, establish a new protocol,” he said.
A simulation exercise will be held in December to include airport emergency situations.
Meanwhile, during the meeting, Espinosa also asked representatives of the CAAP on how the airport is being maintained. He likewise grilled Cebu Pacific on the integrity of its airplane and the capability of its pilot during the Flight 5J 461 incident.
“We would like to help and we would like to know how to maintain the status as the best airport in the country and number 12 in Asia,” Espinosa said. He even offered to send personnel to help clean the airport to ensure that it is well-maintained.
The acting mayor underscored that the airplane, the airport and the pilot should always be on “tiptop condition” to ensure the safety of Ilonggos.
“Hope it won’t happen again, although accidents do happen,” he said. (Perla Lena/PNA)
