PDRRMO readies schools for disasters

CEBU, Philippines — Before the opening of classes, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) in Cebu has prepared schools and students for possible flooding and landslides and other disasters.

PDRRMO steps up its efforts on disaster mitigation and prevention not only by making sure that schools are safe from natural calamities but also by educating the children themselves on what they should do when one occurs.

Rhee Telen Jr. told reporters Wednesday that personnel from the office are going around schools in the province to check its physical features and terrain.

He said the teams are assessing if schools are vulnerable to flooding and landslide and whether the classrooms are disaster resilient in order to ensure the safety of pupils during the holding of classes that starts on June 3 for public schools.

With repairs and maintenance done during Brigada Eskwela, Telen said they also see to it that the school administrators are putting up early warning signs or signages.

Moreover, he said that during site inspections, PDRRMO officers are also educating children in the communities on what they should do before, during, and after disasters.

As part of the office's information and education campaign, he said PDRRMO gives out handbook and video materials to schools in order for pupils to gain knowledge on basic disaster response.

One strategy the office finds effective in educating the children is through film viewing. PDRRMO has partnered with a private firm that provided the "puppetry" video. The disaster office reproduced the CDs.

Telen said the CDs come with a handbook which the teachers can use to discuss further and elaborate on the scenes that the children have viewed.

Good thing, the material used four different languages, including the Visayan dialect, for better comprehension of students.

Currently, PDRRMO has produced around 1,000 copies of CDs and handbooks that are already distributed for free to different school districts.

Telen said these materials can also be used on subjects related to disaster management and response that have been integrated in the school curriculum on DRRM topics.

This initiative, he said, has already kicked off years ago as a post-Yolanda project to help schools and communities cope with the different challenges met during disasters. (FREEMAN)