BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – The city’s Emergency Operations Center created under former Mayor Evelio Leonardia’s term will be renamed to COVID19 Response Team, a decision discussed today by the city disaster response czar in her meeting with new Mayor Albee Benitez.
Physician Anna Maria Laarni Pornan, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) head, told DNX it was decided during the meeting with Benitez and representatives of other agencies that the EOC would be renamed and its functions minimized since there is a low number of COVID-19 cases.
Pornan, however, said the specifics of the CRT would be contained in an executive order that only Benitez could issue as local chief executive.
The EOC is under the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office that is under the Office of the Civil Defense and serves as its implementing arm of sorts.
It would be activated when there is a calamity or a disaster, and deactivated if there is no need for it anymore, Pornan had earlier pointed out to DNX.
The meeting was held after the launching of the National Disaster Resilience Month at the Bacolod City New Government Center (BCGC) today, 4 July 2022, which involved a kick-off caravan started with a motorcade with branches of DRRMO, government agencies, barangay offices, and private organisation’s attending.
The celebration will last from July 1 to 29 with the theme ‘Sambayanang Pilipino, nagkakaisa tungo sa katatagan at maunlad na kinabukasan.’ provided by the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC), through the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
Pornan said during the month-long event, trainings will be held by the
Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council every Thursday.
She added the Bacolod DRRMO will hold an exhibition on the second week of July at the BCGC during which they will showcase their responses, trainings, and equipment.
A culminating event is set on 29 July.