CDRRMC trains cops on disaster response

CEBU, Philippines - In order to better equip policemen in disaster response, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), in partnership with the city government, holds a three-day training on how to respond to disasters particularly flooding and landslides.

The forum, which started yesterday, is attended by sixty policemen from the different CCPO units assigned in mountain barangays and riverside areas that are identified as flood-prone and landslide areas.

Chief Insp. Enrique Belciña, chief of CCPO's Police Community Relations (PCR) Section, said the Philippine National Police mandated CCPO and other police offices in the country to conduct disaster trainings.

"Ang pulis, di lang nila trabaho ang pag-maintain sa peace and order, kundi apil na sad sa search and rescue (Policemen do not only maintain peace and order but also search and rescue)," said Belciña.

The forum, he said, is timely since rainy season has already started and a number of police officers will be deployed to assist the city local disaster risk reduction management council in responding to calamities.

"Dakong tabang ang pag-conduct ani na training considering na sa evaluation, daghang mountain and riverside barangays diri sa Cebu City na prone sa flashflood and landslide. (This training helps a lot considering that there are several mountain and riverside barangays that were identified as prone to flashfloods and landslides)," said Belciña.

Among those barangays that are flood-prone due to its rivers are Guadalupe, Kalunasan, and Calamba down to Barangay Pasil while landslide-prone are Barangays Sapangdaku, Busay, and Guba.

Belciña hopes the police will be provided with enough equipment such as rubber boats, ropes, and harnesses to better assist in search and rescue operations.

For now, CCPO only has one rubber boat, far from the ideal 20 rubber boats considering the many flood-prone areas in the city.

"Kay iasa man nang daghang trained personnel unya way equipment, useless ra gihapon. (Trained personnel are useless without equipment)," the PCR chief added.

The forum was attended by personnel from the Mobile Patrol Group, three personnel each from the 11 police precincts, Cebu City Public Safety Company, and Centralized Beat.

Catherine Yso, chief of CDRRMC, one of the speakers in the forum, said that police, among other things, will also help make the public aware of any disasters to prevent casualties. — (FREEMAN)