Zambo evacuees trained to avoid bombs

MANILA, Philippines - As part of its commitment to the peace process, the European Union (EU) is funding a program to teach Zamboanga evacuees how to avoid unexploded bombs or improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Eighteen local volunteers, including students and personnel of a non-government organization (NGO), were trained by the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action to spot unexploded bombs and who to call for assistance.

The foundation also held training sessions for aid agencies and volunteers involved in relief efforts and put up risk education posters and billboards in evacuation centers in the city.

During the “train the trainer” course, participants learned how to design and deliver safety messages and materials as well as the communication skills and strategies needed to ensure the timely and effective delivery of the messages. 

Personnel from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) assisted in the training and in coordinating with the camp managers in the evacuation centers. 

The Zamboanga police bomb disposal team updated trainers on clearance operations in a neighborhood where the bomb is located, and the types of IEDs the returnees might encounter. 

Weeks of fighting between the government security forces and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) rebels left parts of the city littered with unexploded ordnances. 

The EU said although a government clear-up operation has removed most of the unexploded bombs, these ordnances will continue to be found as residents return to the area and rubble and debris are removed.