Twenty-five DMMMSU personnel attended a four-day training on Community-based Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (CBDRRM) conducted by the Office of Civil Defense Region 1 last February 21-24, 2022 online via Zoom. The training is part of OCD’s capacity-building and training program for the Province of La Union. It was participated in by DRRM focal persons from local government units (LGU), regional offices of national government agencies (NGA), and civil society organizations (CSO). A total of fifty participants completed the training which included fifteen (15) from the South La Union Campus, three (3) from the North La Union Campus, one (1) from the Mid La Union Campus, and one (1) from the Open University System (OUS).

CBDRRM training aims to impart knowledge, skills, and attitude required in cascading practical DRRM approaches that are applicable for communities before, during, and after disasters. Participants were able to explain the local disaster situation and Philippine disaster risk profile, describe the overview of CBDRRM and its legal bases, discuss the key steps involved in CBDRRM process, explain the community DRRM mechanisms under the four (4) thematic areas, and determine the immediate actions to implement the DRRM plan at the community level.

The training comprised a total of 19 hours with 10.5 for self-paced and 8.5 hours for video teleconferencing (VTC). During the self-paced learning, participants accessed the OCD’s Training Information Management System (IMS) and downloaded material content from the portal where they learn the new information properly on their own time. To facilitate communication and interaction, lectures and workshops were done through video teleconferencing (VTC) which allowed participants to work during group discussions in virtual breakout rooms.

One of the highlights of the training was the Community Risk Assessment (CRA) where participants learned how to identify natural hazards that may affect certain communities by using the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Hazard Hunter. It is an online application where one can download the hazard profile of a community anywhere in the country by using Google Earth.

Another highlight was on DRRM action planning. This module provided an opportunity for the participants to set precise goals and targets to cascade CBDRRM in their respective areas. In the case of DMMMSU, this afforded focal persons to identify significant DRRM activities and integrate them in a comprehensive DRRM plan for the university.

With a CBDRRM team in the University, a more proactive attitude is expected to ensure that relevant activities will soon be organized and implemented to mainstream disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in the University. (Jigs A. Pre)