Rescue training for 17,000 tanods starts

CEBU, Philippines - About 100 barangay tanods and representatives from local government agencies volunteered to join a week-long disaster rescue and relief operations training in the island town of Bantayan.

The 100 tanods are only part of the 17,000 tanods in the entire province who will all be trained as a reserve force.

The training for the first group of tanods, which started last May 9 and ended May 13, was held at the municipal gym. It was spearheaded by personnel from the 7th Regional Community Defense Group (7RCDG) of the Army’s Reserve Command in coordination with the Office of Civil Defense.

Bantayan is the first recipient of the activity, which is the Cebu Province’s flagship program on Community Defense Disaster Risk Reduction Management Training.

The program was launched last February sponsored by the Cebu Provincial Government. The training will be conducted by the 7RCDG, area Reserve Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Colonel Raymundo Bañares Jr., Group Commander of the 7RCDG, said that Bantayan town is the first LGU, through Mayor Ian Christopher Escario, to commit the holding of the training.

Escario said that after the intensive training for tanods, their town now has enough people to respond to relief and rescue operations in times of natural disasters which could happen anytime.

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia led the signing of the declaration of commitment to the program.

“All component local government units and their officials do hereby commit to actively promote and participate in the community defense and disaster risk reduction and management training program in order to build up equally strong community-based reserve forces and disaster volunteers for emergency purposes,” a portion of the declarations states.

Garcia is currently the battalion commander of the 1st Cebu Ready Reserves of the 701st Community Defense Center, Area Reserve Command of the Philippine Army.

Aside from the disaster relief and rescue operations, the trainings, which will be finished in a year, will also focus on fire prevention and suppression, fight against illegal drugs and illegal fishing, environmental protection, maintenance of peace and order and other related socio-economic activities. – (FREEMAN)