Students from public and private schools in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga have proven their preparedness in responding to disasters during the 1st CSFP Junior DRRM (Disaster Risk Reduction and Management) Capability Assessment held July 18 at the Heroes Hall.
As part of the city’s observance of National Disaster Consciousness Month, the activity was initiated by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Philippine Red Cross, and the Department of Education.
Participating Junior high school students (Grades 7-10) from 12 different schools competed in 3 major drills including Information, Education relay; Bandaging relay; and Lifting and Moving relay.
Raymond Del Rosario, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer, said that prior to the competition, all participants already underwent training on proper bandaging of wounds in the different parts of the body, right way of transferring patients using the one-man to four-man carry techniques and the appropriate execution of skills during unforeseen events.
“This is a friendly competition that gauges what the students learned during their training. We want to promote situational awareness and strengthen camaraderie among school-based first responders,” Del Rosario added.
For his part, Mayor Edwin D. Santiago said that all Fernandinos, regardless of age, should know what to do before, during and after a disaster to ensure effective response to the impacts that may be brought by natural hazards.
“Our city is prone to disasters such as floods. We want to improve our students’ capacity in dealing with disaster risks to mitigate the effects and easily cope with consequences,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, students from the Information and Communication Technology High School outshined other contenders as they were hailed as champion in the competition. Sindalan High School and Panipuan High School were awarded 1st runner up and 2nd runner up, respectively.
Special awards were also given to Lyndale Academy (Best in Information, Education relay), Sindalan High School (Best in Bandaging relay) and Information and Communication Technology High School (Best in Lifting and Moving relay).