MANILA — Public and private schools in Quezon City have been urged to come up with a disaster contingency plan in preparation for calamities.
In a speech addressing school administrators and representatives, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) chief Karl Michael Marasigan said students should be equipped with the knowledge on how to save themselves amid disasters, such as “The Big One”.
“As we have said, if ‘The Big One’ occurs, within 72 hours we will be on our own. We can’t just sit and wait. We have to be prepared. So, what we are doing now is we are offering the schools the services that we could to help make them resilient and to capacitate themselves,” Marasigan said.
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the West Valley Fault line traverses a huge part of Quezon City, which houses schools, government offices, and business establishments. If it moves, it can claim a big part of the city’s population.
In compliance with Republic Act No. 101211, also known as the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, the city’s DRRMO conducts free seminars and training courses for the community, especially in schools, whether public or private.
Apart from providing survival drills and first aid training, the city also distributes free “go bags” to the community. Each “go bag” contains ready-to-eat meal, transistor radio, including batteries, hand-pressing flashlight, foil blanket, bottled water, rope bracelet, and whistle.
Marasigan also told school administrators and representatives to encourage the youth to participate in programs promoting disaster awareness and preparedness.
“It is very important that we have organized people who will really dedicate themselves to Disaster Risk Reduction and Management. At least, we have a focal person or team that will plan and study the needs of their universities and schools,” Marasigan said. (PNA)
