As part of its thrust to ensure Dabawenyos are equipped for emergency or disaster situations, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) is gearing up for the annual city-wide shake out and tsunami simulation exercise (SimEx) in July.
Lyndon Leovic L. Ancajas, Acting Head of CDRRMO’s Local Emergency Communications and Response Division (LECRD), highlighted, in an interview with the At Your Service with CDRRMO program over city-owned Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR), the importance of drills and simulation exercises in preparing for disaster and emergency situations.
“Mao na siya [drills and SimEx] ang nagastorya sa atoa, nagatudlo sa atoa kung unsa ang atoang mga dapat pagabuhaton kung naa’y linog, kung naa’y sunog o kung naa’y disaster (Drills and simulation exercises inform us—teaches us what to do during earthquakes, fire incidents, or during disaster situations),” he said.
“Every day naa gyu’y disaster. Naa gyu’y panghitabo nga need g’yud nato pangandaman that’s why ang atoang office dili g’yud muundang sa paghatag og drills ug mga simulation exercises para sa katawhan. Mao na’ng reason why atoa g’yud ni’ng ginabalik-balik every year. It’s training everyone, informing everyone, through muscle memory (Every day a disaster might happen. There are situations that we have to prepare that’s why our office will also continue to conduct drills and simulation exercises for the public. This is also the reason why we do this every year: to inform and train everyone through muscle memory),” Ancajas emphasized.
For six years now, the CDRRMO has held a city-wide shake out and tsunami simulation exercise involving various sectors of the community including barangays, especially in the coastal area, government institutions, private establishments, and schools to train Dabawenyos, and mitigate the effect of disasters.
The CDRRMO is urging every Dabawenyo to cooperate and join in the upcoming simulation exercise.
“Pag-abot sa muabotay nato nga July sa atoang shake out simex, we are hoping that everyone will still fully support and join us sa kani nga activity kay this is for everybody (This coming July, during our shake out simex, we are hoping that everyone will still fully support and join us in this activity because this is for everyone),”Ancajas said.
“We are involving everyone kay dili man tanan maigo og tsunami pero tanan man maramdaman man ang linog (Everyone is involved because although only the coastal barangays might be affected by a tsunami, earthquakes affect everyone),” he added. CIO
Written by: J. Villaluz
Edited by: A. Nawal