TABUK CITY, Kalinga – During the recently held flag raising ceremony, the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO), through CDRRM Officer Jeremias Ammakiw, reported the successful conduct of the OPLAN LIGTAS SUMVAC (Summer Vacation) on March 28-31, 2024, referring to it as generally peaceful.
“We were able to maintain peace and order, gather some information and channel it to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO),” he said.
He thanked their partner offices and agencies such as the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, City Health Services Office, Public Order and Safety Office , the Philippine National Red Cross, the different barangay disaster risk reduction management offices (BDRRMOs), the PDRRMO, the Department of Interior and Local Government, the CDRRM Council members and its Chairman, Councilor Abraham Licaycay, and both City Mayor Darwin Estrañero and Vice Mayor Dick Bal-o, saying that without them, the operation would not be as successful as it was.
Ammakiw added that during the four day operation, the disaster preparedness actions taken (DPAT) by their office consisted of: Raising the alert level to blue alert; Activation of a 24/7 incident monitoring and emergency assistance; DRRM Responders were called and tooled for duty; establishment of emergency assistance and river watch; deployment of roving teams to river sites and resorts; Conducting of information education campaigns on safety protocols to picnic sites and resorts; Maintaining close coordination with the CDRRM Council members, the Chairman and BDRRM Committee members; Swift Water Search and Rescue (WASAR) preparation, and Prepared enough rescue vehicles, equipment, and personnel.
The CDRRM officer then said they observed that in their area or responsibility (AOR), there were only a dozen picnic tents/camping sites set up on March 28, on the second day, there were 23 sites spotted, while 26 sites were set up on the third, while the last day, only 10 were spotted.
Ammakiw emphasized that the surge of picnic goers occur on the second and third day of Holy Week and that they will be better prepared for the next OPLAN LIGTAS SUMVAC by knowing how to divide up their personnel in order to take greater safety precautions. By Edward Joseph Gacuya
