BAGUIO CITY — Students in this city may soon be certified emergency responders as the city council will continue to tackle the proposed ordinance pushing for the inclusion of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) in the school curriculum.
The City Council on Monday approved on first reading the proposal of Councilor Leandro Yangot creating the “Children and Youth Emergency Risk Reduction and Management Program” in the city. The proposal is still up for two more readings before the city council.
The proposed ordinance aims to involve Baguio City’s children and youth in worthy community projects that will contribute to their educational experience, socio-civic skills, and other potentials for their personal and community development, said Yangot in a phone interview on Friday.
The proposal also calls for emergency and DRRM training, drills and workshops for children and youth both in public and private schools, the 128 barangays in the city, youth clubs, organizations and associations.
Yangot said that once approved, schools in the city will have to come up with safety policies and integrate DRRM in their curriculum.
The City DRRM Council will formulate training course modules and simulation drills for the children and youth, which shall include but not limited to basic rescue operation, first aid, map reading, drafting the needed action plan for the community, setting up of evacuation routes, food, fire, earthquake and typhoon drills, learning how to use the different tools, and assessing the vulnerability of a community and learning practical examples of mitigating disasters.
The councilor said that the participation of the different stakeholders makes any endeavor successful.
Office of the Civil Defense – Cordillera Director Alex Uy had repeatedly spelled out the importance of teaching residents on DRRM, especially first aid.
This will allow even family members to respond to health emergencies happening at home or in their neighborhood, while waiting for medical responders to arrive, he said in a phone interview.
He welcomed the move of city officials to expand the program, even to schoolchildren.
The proposed ordinance, once approved, will provide a certification to the students to encourage them to pursue other DRRM training courses that would build their self-confidence.
Certification will qualify schoolchildren to participate in the rescue, relief, and rehabilitation phases of a disaster and increase the mass base of volunteers in the locality. (Liza Agoot/PNA)
