PDRRMO conducts water rescue training for tour guides

CEBU, Philippines - The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office has taken efforts to capacitate local tour guides in Cebu to conduct water rescue operations.

As part of the program, the disaster office trained water rescuers in Alegria town, known for water adventures such as canyoneering, a trek that starts from Kanlaob River to the Kawasan Falls in Badian.

At least 30 participants joined the training, 15 of whom were tour guides. Others were municipal employees.

Dennis Cortes, PDRRMO operations chief, said the municipal government of Alegria requested for the training, considering that more adventure seekers troop to its canyoneering site at Kanlaob in Barangay Compostela.

The training lasted for five days, which started on January 11, with a series of lectures and ended last January 15.

The training has been requested after a drowning incident involving a tour guide more than a year ago. The tour guide, identified as Aldrin Carba, 26, went missing past midday of July 26, 2014 when a strong current hit him while he was supervising 22 guests from Manila and Cagayan de Oro. His body was found late afternoon the next day.

During the last day of the training, a simulation of a rescue operation was conducted on the site where the tour guide drowned.

Since the canyoneering activity also covers Badian, Cortes said they are also planning to hold a similar training for tour guides in the town.

Rechele Torsiende of the municipal DRRMO said they are hopeful that there will be no more accidents involving canyoneering activity and that they will be able to handle any emergency by themselves.

The present rates of the canyoneering activity in Alegria include a P50 entrance fee, P150 for the gear, and P500 dive fee.  (FREEMAN)