MACABEBE, Pampanga – In a bid to equip the village officials with the needed skills and what to do during the height of calamity, Governor Lilia G. Pineda ordered them and their “tanods” to undergo training on search and rescue operations during disaster.
With this, the Provincial Police Office (PPO) is now preparing for the 5-day training-workshop to be attended by the village officials and barangay tanods, Supt. Bernard Perez, company commander of Provincial Public Safety Company (PPSC) disclosed.
“This is in line with the order of Gov. Lilia “Nanay Baby” Pineda to empower the barangay officials for disaster preparedness being the first responders and frontliners during calamities,” Perez said.
The PPO-PPSC sponsored-training will be held on the first week of August in Olongapo City. It will be funded by the provincial government.
The PPSC commander said there is a need to form a rescue team in each barangay, especially in coastal areas.
Perez said that based on their assessment last year, villages lack trained personnel to handle evacuation and rescue operations during the height of typhoon.
“If we based it to what happened in 2011, many died from drowning because of inadequate trained people to handle search and rescue operations”, he lamented.
The governor said five representatives from coastal barangays and other villages in the 4th district are required to attend the training. “They need to send five representatives who are physically strong and emotionally ready to face crisis and disasters,” Perez added.
He revealed that the training will include water search and rescue (WASR), first-aid, strategy in dealing with emergencies, among others.
Perez said, after the rigid training, the PNP will help them form their own rescue team.
Relative to this, the governor instructed coastal village officials to purchase 30-seater boats with 50 horse power engine, worth P150,000, chargeable against the provincial government.
“This will be used during rescue operations and other emergencies,” the governor said. (Jenna Lumbang, PIO Pampanga)
