Youth projects address problem areas in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines – Six projects that zero in on disaster preparedness in critical areas in Cebu bested six other projects in this year’s Young Minds Academy (YMA).

YMA is a leadership and development program of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. – Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center aimed at tapping the youth, ages 12 to 20, to create solutions to prevailing problems in the community.

One of the six projects is a mobile application that allows users to access information on fire safety and emergency response measures bested other projects created by participants of this year’s Young Minds Academy (YMA).

The project, “TORCH Quick Disaster Response App APK,” was created by a five-member team of students, ages 12 to 16 years old.

The project, which piloted in Barangay Tisa, Cebu City, aims to lessen casualties and damage during a fire.

The TORCH team collaborated with the Bureau of Fire Protection -7 and the barangay officials as they conducted community immersions, focused-group discussion, and survey.

Identifying Barangay Tisa as fire-prone due to its congested structures, the team decided to create the application, which can be shared via Bluetooth, and identified and trained at least 68 pilot users.

Office of Civil Defense Deputy Administrator Director Romeo Fajardo, one of the panel of evaluators yesterday, sees promise in the application.

The team assigned to a coastal barangay in Carcar City taught young locals how to use salt water as alternative source of energy light with the use of an improvised lamp. The lamp will be most useful when electricity is interrupted during calamities.

The project is aptly called SEA (Saltwater as an Energy light source Alternative), which paved the way for a device making contest that would challenge participating students to create a durable equipment.

A third team decided to capitalize on the element of fun with its project, “Master of Disaster,” a board game aimed at training student players from Basak National High School in Lapu-Lapu City how to strategize in responding to disasters.

The fourth team focused their efforts on Barangay Buagsong, Cordova where they partnered with local officials and the Philippine Red Cross for the project, B-READY (Buagsong-Responding to Emergencies And Disasters with Youth) Camp.

The camp trained young people – who eventually formed the B-Ready Council – in skills needed to stabilize their own injuries during emergency situations in the absence of professional help and before they can help others. The training was undertaken through an outdoor activity patterned after the popular reality show Amazing Race.

In Purok Tatsu, Barangay Suba, Danao City, the fifth group formed a Purok Disaster Assistance Team composed of at least 20 members trained on Disaster Risk Reduction Management and basic life support.

The newly-created team, supported through a barangay resolution, will assist the Barangay Disaster Response Council in preventing injures among residents in the area, as well as physical damage.

The sixth team created what they called Project CWB or Cambaro Wash Breakthrough in Purok Ampalaya, Barangay Cambaro, Mandaue City, a flood prone barangay. There, the project aims to train at least 200 households in hygienic practices and increase awareness on water and sanitary hygienic problems in the barangay.

The projects were carried out from September 15 to November 15.

The panel of evaluators was composed of RAFI-Education Development Unit Executive Director Engr. Ernesto Alix, Angat Kabataan ng Taytay President John Tobit Cruz, SunStar Cebu Editor-in-Chief Isolde Amante, RAFI-Kool Adventure Camp Director Marie Sol Gonzalvo, and Marketworks Asia CEO Gladys Ceniza.

The six teams will be awarded formally on December 12. —/JMO (FREEMAN)