OCD-BAR capacitates BARMM LGUs on emergency response

COTABATO CITY — The Office of Civil Defense-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region has started capacitating emergency responders in cities and provinces under its jurisdiction in preparation for the adverse effects of the La Niña phenomenon and other security challenges arising in some areas from time to time.

More than 10,000 villagers in Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte and in predominantly Moro barangays in Cotabato province that are grouped together as the Special Geographic Area-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao got displaced last week as floods swept through their villages following heavy downpours in hinterlands around.

Joel Mamon, director of OCD-BAR, told reporters on Thursday that they have started strengthening linkages among local government units and their office to ensure cohesion of efforts in calamity, disaster and conflict response operations.

A team from OCD-BAR facilitated a Rapid Damage and Needs Analysis Training from June 18 to 21 in Iligan City for members of the Lanao del Sur Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, meant to enhance their emergency response preparedness and situation assessment and documentation proficiency as basis for efficient mitigation initiatives.

The OCD-BAR and the Regional Gawad Kalasag Team, a non-government entity helping provide disaster risk reduction and management insights to local government emergency response personnel, also facilitated over the weekend similar workshops for teams from local government units in Lanao del Sur, the largest from among six provinces in BARMM.

BARMM also covers Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi provinces and the cities of Lamitan, Marawi and Cotabato.

Mamon said barangay officials in Cotabato City, the capital of BARMM, had initially been capacitated too by OCD-BAR via a training just three weeks ago. 

Many of the 37 barangays in Cotabato City are close to large rivers and swamps that connects to the 220,000-hectare Ligawasan Marsh, a catch basin for more than a dozen rivers that springs from mountain ranges in Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Bukidnon provinces and overflows fast during rainy days.

Mamon said that he is grateful to the director of the Bangsamoro regional police, Brig. Gen. Prexy Tanggawohn, and Major Gen. Alex Rillera, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, for supporting the activities of OCD-BAR in BARMM towns and provinces in Central Mindanao.