SM hosts UN-led series on disaster resiliency

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MORE PPPs PUSHED FOR DISASTER RESILIENCY

“It is time that we level up Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and put it into disaster management. We are all stakeholders and we all should do our part.” --- Defense Undersecretary Alexander Pama, Administrator of the Office of Civil Defense and Executive Director, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council

Disaster resiliency experts are pushing for more public-private partnership (PPP) projects to further boost risk reduction and management efforts to make the country better prepared in times of calamities and other emergencies.

This is was the consensus taken during the ARISE Philippines Forum hosted by SM Prime held last June 23 at the Mall of Asia Arena Annex (MAAX) Building to discuss the best practices on disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM). The forum was held in partnership with United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies.

Risk Reduction experts led by Defense Undersecretary Alexander Pama, Administrator of the Office of Civil Defense and Executive Director, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council; Dr. Renato Solidum Jr, Director of Philippine Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS); Dr. Mahar Lagmay, Executive Director of Project NOAH, Noel Gaerlan, Commissioner of the Philippine Climate Change Commission; and Rene Meily, President of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) agreed that there should be more government-private sector collaboration in DRRM.

Pama stressed that there should greater cooperation with the private sector not just to save lives but also protect properties and livelihood.

The one-day forum is geared towards providing businesses with an outline of the role of the private sector in disaster risk reduction and management. Middle to top managers of the leading companies attended the forum attended by industry experts to aid them in formulating strategies and making sound decisions in developing disaster-resilient companies, i.e., companies that can guarantee the continuity of provision of their products and services even in times of disaster and also sustain profitability and security of investments.

Gaerlan said the Philippines has become a role model in DRRM because of the strides it had achieved for the past several years but noted many still need to be done. One, he pointed out, is to make businesses better prepared for emergencies.

“Other countries admire our DRR initiatives but still a lot more room for improvement. We need stronger PPP partnerships because we are a lot stronger when we’re all working together,” he said.

Solidum, for his part, said an area which the private sector can make its impact felt in disaster resiliency is making sure its buildings and places of operations can withstand a 7.2 earthquake and the possible effects that may go with it including liquefaction and tsunami.

“Making sure that business survive a 7.2 magnitude earthquake and its aftereffects should be a main consideration of every business today because we have to make sure we are up and running the minute an earthquake stops,” he said.

Annie Garcia, President of SM Supermalls, said that with ARISE Philippines, SM is aiming to help energize DRRM by making businesses and the private sector better prepared to face emergencies.

“SM Prime’s long standing commitment to safeguard the areas in which we operate has led to our tireless pursuit towards a resilient, sustainable and responsible community for all. We invite more members of the private sector to promote UNISDR’s call to invest in DRR and to align with the Philippine government to create a risk-sensitive private sector to make disaster-resilient societies,” she said.

SM conducts 'Shake Drill' dry run across all malls

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​SM Supermalls, the country's biggest mall network, shows its full support to the July 30 metro-wide earthquake preparedness drill dubbed as the "Metro Manila Shake Drill" by conducting its own simultaneous dry run earthquake and evacuation drill across all participating malls in the National Capital Region (NCR).

The dry run aimed to simulate the coordinated commencing of the drill, test devices and utilities that will be used to train and familiarize all mall personnel; and address concerns that may be encountered on the actual day of the drill.

Valuing the safety and welfare of all SM Supermalls customers and the communities where its malls operate, SM went on a full campaign to raise awareness for the upcoming Metro-wide Shake Drill. In-mall public announcements and mall collateral materials are strategically in place to ensure that the public is made aware and well-prepared for the drill.

An Emergency Response Group has already been activated to ensure the smooth implementation of the dry run across the malls. The importance of disaster preparedness is key across SM’s operations, from its management down to the employees and mall frontliners.

The Metro Manila Shake Drill, scheduled on July 30, is spearheaded by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), in partnership with DOST-PHIVOLCS. It aims to prepare various agencies and the general public for a potential major earthquake scenario. 

The exercise will be held simultaneously from 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM across Metro Manila. A separate night time drill will be conducted in the Ortigas Business District in Pasig City from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM.

For more details about SM Supermalls' Shake Drill participation, visit SM Supermalls' official website www.smsupermalls.com.

Public schools along Valley Fault System strengthen readiness for earthquake

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The Department of Education (DepEd) is doing a series of orientations on earthquake preparedness for principals and school administrators from 1,134 public schools from the National Capitol Region, Region IV-A, and Region III, surrounding the Valley Fault System. 

The orientation aims to equip school heads and administrators with the right information to increase the level of preparedness of schools not just for earthquakes but also for other possible risks. 

“There is no such thing as overdose of information. We need to cascade this disaster preparedness information,” Noel Bagano, Muntinlupa City Assitant Schools Division Superintendent (ASDS), said.

DepEd Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) Project Officer Mariel Bayangos explained the comprehensive DRRM in Basic Education Framework. 

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) geologist Mabelline Cahulogan discusses the geologic hazards of earthquake to school principals and administrators from Las Pinas, Paranaque and Muntinlupa during the orientation of schools along valley fault system on earthquake preparedness.

“Why is there a need for us to have a common framework? We need to establish an overall strategy para kahit saan mang school tayo magpunta, we have a common language,” Bayangos said.

The Comprehensive DRRM in Basic Education is guided by education outcomes and, at the same time, anchored in the four thematic areas: prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery, and rehabilitation. Specifically, DepEd has adopted the Comprehensive Safe Schools Framework to align DRRM implementation in basic education, which is presented in three pillars: safe learning facilities, school disaster management, and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in education. 

Comprehensive DRRM in Basic Education Framework discussion encompasses the structural and nonstructural measures such as the adopted disaster resilient classroom design, the strengthened construction monitoring process, enhanced design of temporary learning spaces, the establishment of DepEd DRRM offices nationwide, and the policy on student−led school watching and hazard mapping.

Bayangos added that DRRM and CCA are already integrated in the K to 12 curriculum and the DRR reference materials are being uploaded in the learning portal.

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) Geologist Mabelline Cahulogan also discussed geologic hazards like the occurrence of ground rupture and liquefaction.

“We all know that the Philippines is situated at the Pacific Ring of Fire and it is crucial for us to be disaster prepared,” Cahulogan said.

“Everyday, our instruments at PHIVOLCS record at least 20 earthquakes. Hindi lang natin sila nararamdaman… We can live with the fault as long as we are prepared and ready. Hindi po natin kailangan mag-panic. Sa halip, kailangan lang po natin maging prepared,” she added. 

The geologic hazards discussion was followed by an open forum to address questions from school principals and education administrators relative to disaster preparedness.

Department of Education Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DepEd DRRM) Project Officer Mariel Bayangos explaining the Comprehensive DRRM in Basic Education Framework.

Family earthquake preparedness

The orientation ended with the briefing on the Family Earthquake Preparedness Homework in line with DepEd Order No. 27 entitled “Promoting Family Earthquake Preparedness.” The homework requires all students to answer a set of questionnaires with their parents to assess their family preparedness before, during and after an earthquake. The class advisers will discuss each of the questions and shall tabulate and summarize the answers which will be submitted to the school administration. The school heads shall be the one to discuss the results to the Parents−Teachers Association (PTA) and barangay officials.

Over 400 school principals, administrators and DRR coordinators from six Metro Manila cities (Las Pinas City, Muntinlupa City, Paranaque City, Pasay City, Taguig City, and Makati City) and Region III (Norzagaray and San Jose del Monte, Bulacan) participated in the five first batches of the said orientation. 

The orientation on earthquake preparedness will continue tomorrow at Jose Rizal Memorial School in Calamba City for those school administrators, principals and DRRM coordinators from Biñan, Carmona, Calamba, Rodriguez, San Mateo, San Pedro, Sta. Rosa and Silang, Laguna. More than 200 participants are expected to attend tomorrow. The last leg of the orientation on July 13 will be participated by principals from Manila, Navotas, Caloocan, Malabon and Valenzuela cities. 

DepEd urges family engagement in disaster preparedness

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In its continuing efforts to ensure safety and readiness of learners and teachers, the Department of Education (DepEd) in partnership with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) and Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) held a joint workshop on earthquake preparedness, highlighting the importance of school preparedness and family involvement in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) efforts.

"We strongly believe that disaster preparedness should be anchored on family preparedness not just individual readiness. We want families to imagine scenarios and prepare with their communities,” said DepEd Assistant Secretary Reynaldo Laguda in a statement. 

DepEd has issued DO 27, s. 2015 promoting family earthquake preparedness through school activities. The activities involve the following: (a) learners answering a series of questions highlighting family preparedness in the form of a homework to be done with their families; (b) all advisory teachers are expected to discuss the results and cull out the learnings appropriate for their respective communities; and (c) principals are required to discuss the summary of their findings with the parents-teachers associations and barangay officials for consideration in the school and community preparedness planning.

Laguda said, “Families should engage and should prepare for emergencies, such as a major earthquake.”

DO 27, s. 2015 supports previous DepEd orders on school-based preparedness measures such as the conduct of drills, identification of risks, among others.

“DepEd will also be meeting with public school principals from NCR and surrounding provinces affected by the Valley Fault System in the coming week to ensure that this is fully complied with,” Laguda added.

DepEd is coordinating with local government units and Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to prepare for the July 30 Metro Manila earthquake drill. “We already issued a memorandum requiring teachers and students to participate in the metro-wide earthquake drill on July 30,” Laguda added.

PHIVOLCS Director Renato Solidum, Jr. emphasized the importance of imagination in disaster preparedness, saying, 

“We need to imagine these different hazards and what can happen to us. In your school or classroom building, you need to imagine your environment after the earthquake.”

COCOPEA Executive Director Rene San Andres underscored the importance of sharing the best practices among schools to further strengthen each institution’s programs for school safety. In this light, Miriam College presented their “Think Safe” program for DRRM to address the different natural and human-induced risks in their school.

“We hope that everyone continues to seek the right information and to act appropriately and proactively to increase the level of preparedness not just for earthquakes but for other risks as well,” Laguda said.

Over 180 participants from different private schools, with some coming from as far as Baguio City, attended the joint workshop on earthquake preparedness.