DRR

BIDA KA!: RescYouth

Pagkatapos tumama ng bagyong Yolanda, ilang oras din tayong na­ging bulag sa tunay na kondisyon sa ground zero.

Maliban kasi sa putol ang linya ng mga kuryente at telepono, nasira rin ang lahat ng uri ng komunikasyon kaya walang makalabas na anumang impormasyon.

Galit ang aking naramdaman dahil gusto ko mang magpahatid ng agarang tulong, wala tayong ideya sa tunay na sitwasyon sa mga nasabing lugar.

Nakahinga lang ako nang maluwag makalipas ang ilang araw nang makatanggap tayo ng impormasyon mula mismo sa ating mga kaibigan sa mga nasabing lugar.

Kaya hindi na tayo nag-aksaya ng panahon. Agad nakipag-ugnayan ang ating tanggapan sa mga kaibigan, shipping companies at Department of Social Welfare and Development para mabilis na makapaghatid ng tulong.

Sa karanasang ito, doon ko nakita na kahit ano pa ang pangyayari – maging ito man ay gawa ng kalikasan, Act of God o likha ng tao – kayang malampasan kung magtutulung-tulong ang lahat.

Mas mabilis ang paghahatid ng tulong at mas madali ang pagbangon kung tayo’y magsasama-sama at kikilos sa isang direksyon.

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Ito ang ideya sa disaster risk reduction (DRR) consultation at workshop na ginawa ng aking tanggapan kamakailan sa Balamban, Cebu.

Tinaguriang ‘RESCYouth: Responsive, Empowered and Service-Centric Youth,’ ang dalawang araw na workshop ay ginawa sa RAFI Kool Adventure Camp at nilahukan ng humigit-kumulang 100 kabataan mula sa iba’t ibang organisasyon sa buong bansa.

Sa nasabing workshop, nagtipon ang iba’t ibang grupo ng mga kabataan na bihasa sa DRR at nagkaroon ng palitan ng ideya at mungkahi ukol sa mga makabagong sistema at mga programa tuwing may kalamidad.

Sa workshop ding ito, nabigyan ng sapat na kaalaman ang mga kalahok na puwede nilang ibahagi sa kani-kanilang komu­nidad upang magamit nila sa paghahanda at habang may kalamidad o anumang pinsala.

Nagbahagi si Mang Tani Cruz, ang meteorologist ng GMA News, kung paano nila kinukuwento ang mga isyu ng climate change sa taumbayan at ang mga epekto nito.

Tinalakay naman ni Mayor Sandy Javier kung ano ang mga ginawa nilang hakbang para mapaghandaan ang Bagyong Yolanda sa Javier, Leyte, kabilang ang forced evacuation para mailigtas ang lahat ng tao sa kanilang komunidad.

Ikinuwento ni Mark Lawrence Cruz ng Gawad Kalinga ang pagtitipon ng mga miyembro ng komunidad para sa kanilang relief operations at nang masiguradong lahat ay mabigyan nang aga­rang tulong.

Naging mabunga ang nasabing workshop dahil mula sa palitan ng ideya at mungkahi, ang mga kalahok ng mga programang makatutulong para mapaganda pa ang kasalukuyang sistema pagdating sa DRR.

Nangako naman ang mga kalahok na dadalhin ang mga programang ito sa kani-kanilang organisasyon at mga komunidad para maipakalat sa mas marami pang tao.

Maliban pa rito, nagkaroon din ng mas matibay na ugnayan ang mga organisasyon, lalo na sa palitan ng kaalaman at impormasyon pagdating sa DRR.

Ang mga nasabing grupo ang gagamiting sentro ng suporta ng aming tanggapan tuwing may kalamidad.

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Kabilang sa mga lumahok sa workshop ay ilang grupo na ma­laki ang ginampanang papel sa rescue at relief operations noong Bagyong Yolanda.

Kabilang dito ang Rescue Assistance Peacekeeping Intelligence Detail o RAPID, na naging first responders sa Tacloban City.

Malawak na ang karanasan ng RAPID pagdating sa rescue at relief operations. Isa sila sa mga grupong tumulong nang magbanggaan ang dalawang barko sa Cebu noong 2013.

Tuwing may sunog, inaasahan din ang mabilis na pagresponde at paghahatid ng tulong ng RAPID.

Susi sa mabilis na pagtugon ng RAPID ang pagkakaroon nila ng ugnayan sa Philippine National Police (PNP).

Dumalo rin sa workshop ang Hayag Youth Organization na na­kabase sa Ormoc City.

Mula nang itatag noong 1985, naging mis­yon na ng grupo ang magturo ng swimming, disaster preparedness, first aid at maging open water safety training sa mga kabataan sa lungsod.

Kaya nang tumama ang Bagyong Yolanda, walang naitalang namatay sa hanay ng mga kabataan sa Ormoc City na lumahok sa programa ng Hayag.

Dahil sa programa ng Hayag na ‘Langoy sa Kaluwasan’, kinilala sila bilang isa sa Ten Outstanding Youth Organizations (TAYO) noong nakaraang taon.

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Naniniwala ako na kapag tayo’y nagsama-sama, matatalo natin ang pinakamalalaking problema sa ating bayan, ma­ging ito man ay kalamidad o sakuna.

Kapag natugunan na natin ang problema sa kalamidad, maaari na tayong kumilos para solusyunan ang iba pang suliranin tulad ng gutom, kawalan ng edukasyon at kahirapan.

First Published on Abante Online

Youth Groups Converge to Create DRR National Network

Senator Bam Aquino aims to create a powerful network of young Filipinos who can provide dependable support during calamities and disasters and beef up the country’s disaster risk reduction (DRR) management program.

Aquino made this pronouncement after the successful staging of a two-day consultation and design thinking workshop, dubbed as “RESCYouth: Responsive, Empowered and Service-Centric Youth,” held at the RAFI Kool Adventure Camp in Balamban, Cebu.

Coming from different parts of the country, participants who attended the event are involved in the different facets of DRR, such as disaster preparation, rescue, relief and rehabilitation.

Others are volunteer firefighters, first responders and peacekeepers in their respective localities, like the Rescue Assistance Peacekeeping Intelligence Detail (RAPID) of Cebu City and the Ormoc City-based Hayag Youth Organization.

RAPID has vast experience in relief and rescue operation. They were one of the first responders in Tacloban City after the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda.  They also helped rescue passengers of a passenger vessel that collided with a cargo ship in Cebu last year.

Hayag, for its part, has been teaching swimming, disaster preparedness, first aid and open water safety training to youth.  They have successfully taught their members when no one among them had a major accident when Typhoon Yalanda hit Ormoc City last year.

“We can make this network a powerful network of young Filipinos who can make a difference,” said Aquino, chairman of the Senate Committee on Youth.

“May disaster man o wala, naririyan tayo para magtulungan at magsama-sama upang matalo natin iyong pinakamamalaking problema sa ating bayan,” he added.

After calamities and disasters, Aquino hopes the network could address other problems hounding the society, such as hunger, lack of education and poverty.

During the event, about 100 youth participants were able to formulate ways and programs that can help improve the country’s present DRR management schemes.

“We expect participants to help this program expand to their respective organizations and communities so many people will benefit from it,” Aquino said.

Participants also committed to closely coordinate with other organizations to expand their network and widen their knowledge about DRR management.

“We will have these organizations as our focal point of support during disasters,” Aquino said.

During the workshop, several personalities shared their experiences and knowledge in DRR management, including Mayor Leonardo “Sandy” Javier of Javier, Leyte, Gawad Kalinga’s Mark Lawrence Cruz and Mario Urrutia III of Reporter’s Notebook.

GMA-7’s resident meteorologist Nathaniel Cruz, Hapinoy Executive Director TJ Agulto and Voltaire Tupaz of Rappler also imparted their knowledge to the participants.

RESCYouth to Boost DRR Knowledge Among Youth

In an effort to educate and equip the youth with the proper knowledge in disaster risk reduction (DRR), the Office of Senator Bam Aquino has organized a consultation and design thinking workshop that will be held in Balamban, Cebu from Nov. 6-7.

Dubbed as “RESCYouth: Responsive, Empowered and Service-Centered Youth,” the two-day workshop will be held at the RAFI Kool Adventure Camp.

“As observed in the past, the youth sector is always at the forefront of relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation during disasters such as the Cebu earthquake and typhoon Yolanda,” said Sen. Bam Aquino, chairman of the Senate Committee on Youth.

“The manpower and innovative ideas they share with communities help contribute to the fast and efficient emergency relief operations, making them a key partner in disaster management,” the senator added.

Around 100 youth organizations from different parts of the country and have existing DRR programs and projects are expected to attend the workshop.

During the workshop, youth organizations will have an active exchange of ideas regarding best DRR practices, leading to the creation of new schemes that will enhance present DRR management program in different areas of the country.

“As we remember the victims and survivors of Yolanda this week, we need to equip our young people with tool and skills to better prepare and respond for disasters,” Aquino added.

The workshop is also aimed at equipping participants with DRR knowledge and information that they can share to their respective communities.

Aside from Senator Aquino, other speakers during the workshop are Mayor Leonardo “Sandy” Javier of Javier, Leyte, Gawad Kalinga’s Mark Lawrence Cruz and Mario Urrutia III of Reporter’s Notebook, GMA7.

GMA-7’s resident meteorologist Nathaniel Cruz, Hapinoy Executive Director TJ Agulto and Zak Yuson of Rappler’s MovePH are also expected to impart their knowledge and experience during the workshop.

The speakers will discuss different topics, ranging from best practices of local government units (LGUs) during disasters, tapping the spirit of volunteerism during relief and rescue operations and the role of media as information dissemination arm.

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