Sinulog 2011 is pilot for government's "command system"

CEBU, Philippines – Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama yesterday said that he wants all government personnel and civilian volunteers tasked to respond to emergency situations will not rest until a problem at hand is solved.

He made the statement before representatives of different government agencies and volunteers who attended a whole-day seminar on "Incident Command System" (ICS) held at the City Hall's legislative building.

Minda Morante, regional director of the Office of the Civil Defense 7, said the Sinulog festival on the third Sunday of January 2011 will be made as the pilot project of the ICS.

Of all the cities in the country, Cebu City has been chosen as the pilot area where the Incident Command System will be strictly implemented.

Morante said the creation of the ICS is necessary to unite all the efforts during crisis management to avoid a repeat of the handling of the hostage taking in Manila involving a dismissed policeman who killed foreign nationals.

During the briefing of the lecturers yesterday, it was clarified that during crisis management there should only be one person to speak before the media to avoid conflicts.

Morante, however, said that changes to be introduced during the holding of next year's Sinulog festival would merely be a "fine tuning" of the system the organizers and authorities have been implementing over the years.

Morante explained that during crisis management there shall be three major committees to be created that will take charge for the security, communication and medical aspects.

"Kun magtinabangay lang g'yud ang tanan sigurado nga makabot g'yud nato ang atong tumong ug tinguha," Rama said. (FREEMAN)