City of San Fernando, Pampanga — The Provincial Government of Pampanga officially commenced the 3rd Pampanga First-Aid and Basic Life Support Olympics on Wednesday, August 21, at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center, in celebration of National Disaster Resilience Month (NDRM).
The event, originally scheduled for July 26, was postponed due to the impact of Super Typhoon Carina. The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) organized the Olympics, bringing together rescue teams from 21 cities and municipalities across the province to demonstrate and enhance their life-saving skills.
PDRRMO Chief Angelina Blanco expressed the importance of the event in advancing the capabilities of local rescuers.
“Patunay po rito ang resulta ng nakaraang La Niña Challenge hosted by the Office of Civil Defense and the Province of Bulacan, kung saan nakamit ng Team Pampanga composed of responders from Mabalacat City, City of San Fernando, Apalit, and Porac ang overall champion award. Namayagpag po ang team natin, at nakuha rin ang Best in Mass Casualty Incident at 2nd Place Best in Water Search and Rescue,” Blanco said.
She also reiterated the importance of basic skills, such as first aid and basic life support.
“Huwag po nating kalilimutan ang basic skills, tulad ng first aid at basic life support dahil ito po ang foundation ng ating response efforts sa anumang insidente,” Blanco said.
Governor Dennis “Delta” Pineda, chairperson of the PDRRMC, affirmed the council’s commitment to further strengthening the capabilities of local rescue teams.
“Stay focused sa competition and work as one. Kahit anong laban pa, definitely there must be teamwork. Huwag niyong isipin ang accomplishment ng kalaban, madi-distract lang kayo. And most importantly, compete with a heart. Kapag gumalaw kayo nang walang puso, walang mangyayari,” Governor Delta said.
He also pledged to sponsor uniforms for all disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) teams across Pampanga to symbolize unity.
The competition will award top-performing teams with trophies, gold medals, rescue equipment, and cash prizes: ₱80,000 for the champion, ₱60,000 for the 1st runner-up, ₱40,000 for the 2nd runner-up, ₱20,000 for the 3rd runner-up, and ₱10,000 for the 4th runner-up.
Special awards will also be presented in various categories, including Best in Adult CPR with AED, Best Bandaging, Best in Lifting and Moving, Best in Situational Analysis, Best in Uniforms, Best Team Leader, Best in Teamwork, Showmanship Award, Most Improved Team, Early Bird Award, Best in Crowd Control, and Biggest Delegation.
In addition to the awards, each participating team will receive equipment, including a stair chair, Kendrick extrication device, nebulizer kit, portable suction machine, and manual suction unit.
The event was also attended by Office of Civil Defense Region 3 Director Amador Corpus, Magalang Mayor Malu Lacson, Guagua Mayor Tonton Torres, several members of the PDRRMC, and representatives from the Technical Working Group (TWG) of the Olympics, including the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Central Luzon Center for Health Development (CLCHD), and the Philippine Red Cross.