July 1998 – June 2007

Rosette Yñiguez Lerias

LMP, Waterfront Hotel, Cebu City

July 14, 2014

THE DRRMC STORY

OF

SOUTHERN LEYTE

THE RESULTS

THE EVENTS, THE RESPONSE,

(RESPONSE DEFINED AS THE MANAGEMENT

DECISIONS AND ACTIONS TO ADDRESS THE

PROBLEM OF DISASTERS IN THE LONG

TERM)

Southern Leyte experienced a storm which

destroyed many houses along the

shoreline.

Response: the Provincial Government

organized a Rescue and Response Team

AUGUST 1998

Areas of training included:

1. First Aid

2. Water Safety

3. Firefighting

A TRAINING WAS ORGANIZED BY THE

PROVINCE WITH THE PNRC AND BFP

AS RESOURCE PERSONS.

1. Identifying the types of Disaster

that Southern Leyte was prone to

and

2. Planning for these eventualities

2002 – THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT

INITIATED A DISASTER MANAGEMENT

SEMINAR WHICH FOCUSED ON:

Casualties: 200

The Response: The Provincial Government launched a

Disaster Response and Rehabilitation Program called

“OPLAN BAG-ONG PANAON’”, a comprehensive

approach to disaster rescue, management and

rehabilitation.

DECEMBER 19, 2003

THE PANAON TRAGEDY

LANDSLIDES IN THE TOWNS OF LILOAN,

PUNTA, SAN FRANCISCO AND PINUT-AN,

SAN RICARDO

Participants: Provincial ”SOLERT”,

LGUs

Pilot Area – St. Bernard

2004 – TRAINORS TRAINING ON

COMMUNITY BASED DISASTER

MANAGEMENT

2005 – ONE (1) MONTH TRAINING INITIATED

BY THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT

TARGET: TO PRODUCE AN ELITE,

COMPOSITE TEAM OF RESPONDERS, FOR

RESCUE, RELIEF AND MANAGEMENT OF

DISASTERS IN THE PROVINCE OF

SOUTHERN LEYTE

PARTICIPANTS: 65 PARTICIPANTS AT THE

ONSET

COMPOSITION: PROVINCIAL EMPLOYEES,

LGU REPRESENTATIVES, BFP, PNP AND

VOLUNTEERS.

ONLY 32 FINISHED THE COURSE.

Trainors:

• Philippine Air Force 505th Search And

Rescue unit

• Bureau of Fire Protection

• Philippine National Red Cross

Funded by: GTZ

THE SOLERT WAS OFFICIALLY BORN. NOT ONLY AS A

RESCUE UNIT, BUT –

A UNIT TASKED WITH DISASTER

RESPONSE, RESCUE, ASSESSMENT,

ACCURATE REPORTING, MONITORING

AND MANAGEMENT.

SOLERT: SOUTHERN LEYTE

EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM

THE MOTTO: “THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE”

THE CORE VALUES:

SELFLESSNESS

COMMITMENT

PUBLIC SERVICE

2005 – THE PROVINCIAL DISASTER

COORDINATING COUNCIL WAS ESTABLISHED IN

SOUTHERN LEYTE

FEBRUARY 13, 2006 - MALANGSA, LILOAN

FLOODING AND LANDSLIDE

NO CASUALTIES

THE BARANGAY WAS ISOLATED

ACTION TAKEN:

SOLERT and PHILIPPINE ARMY – A 21 man team sent to assess, secure, report, and recommend a course of action.

The Philippine Navy was called to assist in the evacuation. They responded.

FEB. 17, 2006

THE GUINSAUGON TRAGEDY

FEB. 28, 2006

CLOSURE

THE DRAMA OF THE SEARCH AND RESCUE

OPERATIONS HAVE BEEN SHARED MANY TIMES

OVER BUT THE HOWS OF RECOVERY AND

REHABILITATION HAVE NOT.

March 3, 2006

Launched: “Oplan Kinabukasan”

a comprehensive approach towards the

rehabilitation of disaster-affected areas.

The first meeting of “Oplan Kinabukasan” was held at

the Governor’s Office and every Friday thereafter,

until December, 2006

Participants Included: PDCC, LGUs, NGOs - Plan Int’l, Save the Children, Oxfam, GTZ , PNRC,others.

APRIL 4, 2006

A 3 –DAY WORKSHOP ON STRATEGIC

PLANNING FOR DISASTER CAPABILITIES &

RESPONSE WAS HELD AT SABIN HOTEL,

ORMOC CITY

SPONSOR: GTZ

RESULTS OF THE WORKSHOP: A PLEDGING

SESSION WHICH WAS BROUGHT TO THE

MUNICIPALITIES

PLAN INTERNATIONAL SPONSORED THE

ECHO SEMINAR FOR THE FOUR (4)

MUNICIPALITIES OF PANAON PLUS LIBAGON

THIS WAS 15 - DAYS TRAINING.

PURPOSE: TO ORGANIZE THE MUNICIPAL

RESPONSE TEAMS.

COST PHP 400,000.00

The masterplan for disaster affected

barangays in the province of Southern Leyte

started to take shape in March 2006.

FROM ITS INCEPTION on March 3, 2006,

the first substantial report was on March 31,

2006.

UPDATES

MGB Geo-Hazard Maps

The province of Southern Leyte was able to get

Assistance from the MGB and JICA. Because

of Guinsaugon, we have hazard maps of the

entire province of Southern Leyte.

Sample: St Bernard from the Cabalian Quadrangle.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• The presence of a LEADER who takes

responsibility for all activities and orchestrates the

rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts.

• The need for a COMPETENT SUPPORT TEAM

capable of making intelligent, accurate

assessment of the situation

sensitive to changes in the physical, emotional

environment

can recommend solutions and

is capable of implementing the same

THE GUINSAUGON TEAM

Provincial Health Officer – Health

Provincial Social Welfare Officer – Relief Distribution

Provincial Engineer, Asst. Prov. Engineer and Head of

Equipment - for technical assistance and equipment

support

Provincial General Services Office Head – for supplies

in the various operations sites

Vice-Gov. & Prov. Admin – to oversee receipt and

document all donations in cash and kind and

distribution to all the relief centers

Budget Officer – for logistics

• ESTABLISH A COMMAND POST

To facilitate the flow and coordination of various

aspects of operations

Becomes a centralized area for volunteer rescuers to

converge

Place where feedback is reported

Depository of new information

Allows focus on rescue

Provides order among various rescue groups

Becomes a direct communication link to the national

government and international community

• SUSTAIN INTEREST IN THE OPERATIONS

Allow media to have access to information

Proper handling of relief goods and donations (Not all donations were coursed through the national or local

government units. For example: Red Cross, GK, GMA Kapuso,

Habitat among others)

Proper inventory of assistance and donations

• MITIGATING MEASURES, HAZARD MAPPING AND

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE AND

MANAGEMENT BE TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS SO

THAT IT IS INSTITUTIONALIZED AND BECOMES

SECOND NATURE TO THE STUDENTS

Government in now focusing on disaster

preparedness, response and

management. In addition, it is suggested

that It should be taught to families, to the

communities (sitios), to the barangays.

Everyone should participate.

Communication linkages must be open

between and among the LGUs, the

National Government and the NGOs.

• Daily briefings at the Command post, on site,

every morning at 6 am

• Daily briefings and reporting at the command

center at the Muncipal Hall for the purpose of

assessing the situation, needs and addressing

the problems.

RANDOM THOUGHTS • Why people were ready to accept?

They saw the leaders

They were part of the collective effort to

rehabilitate their lives.

They saw the results of our collective efforts and

enjoyed its fruits.

Foreign governments and NGOs knew and

understood Where, When & How to participate.

National Line Agencies – supported all efforts,

especially the NDCC

• It is fundamental that disaster response and

management should have NO POLITICAL

COLOR

• It is better to be prepared for that one “life-

changing incident”, while praying that one

does not get to witness or use this knowledge

in his lifetime.