CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council 3 (RDRRMC 3) approved the protocol for the Management of Dead and Missing (MDM) persons during pandemic and natural and human-induced disasters.
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), as head of the Disaster Preparedness Pillar and the lead agency in MDM, led the formulation of the two regional implementation plans (IMPLANs).
“These IMPLANs will serve as guides for the efficient and well-coordinated actions in the region for managing the dead and the missing persons during health emergencies and natural and human-induced disasters,” DILG OIC-Regional Director Jay Timbreza said.
“Even after the IMPLANs’ approval, there is still a need to update the inventory of funeral parlors and hospitals with freezers, as well as the forensic experts who will do victim identification, and the available cadaver bags, as part of the preparedness actions in the event of any disaster in the region,” he added.
For her part, DILG Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Division Chief Lerrie Hernandez said they have already coordinated with DILG Central Office Disaster Information Coordinating Center for the conduct of training this October for MDM Members including personnel from local government units.
In a statement, Office of Civil Defense Regional Director and RDRRMC 3 Chairperson Cesar Idio lauded DILG for coming up with the IMPLANs.
He furthered that RDRRMC 3 is also set to update the Regional DRRM Plan and formulate a Contingency Plan for Mt. Pinatubo before the end of the year.