OCD says studying possible deployment of replacement response team to Turkiye

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) is studying the possibility of sending a second batch of emergency responders to earthquake-hit Turkiye that would replace the initial 82-man inter-agency response team tasked to assist in search, rescue, and retrieval (SRR) operations.

Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, OCD deputy administrator for operations, said the first batch of responders were given a two-week period to complete their mission but it is likely that their stay in Turkiye might be extended due to the severity of the situation there.

“Mayroon na pong planning to send either a replacement after two weeks kung kailangan sila i-extend. We have to replace our warm bodies kasi kung tuloy-tuloy ang trabaho mo for two weeks, hindi rin maganda for them (There is already a planning to send either a replacement after two weeks if we need to extend their stay). We have to replace our warm bodies because if their work there is continuous for two weeks, it would be detrimental for them),” Alejandro said in a press briefing held at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Friday, Feb. 10.

“That is still in the drawing board at marami tayong factors na iko-consider (and we have many factors to consider),” he added.

So far, the first batch of responders was already deployed to the southeastern province of Adiyaman, which is likened by Alejandro to Makati City in the Philippines.

They started the SRR operation at around 8 a.m. Turkish time or 1 p.m. Philippine Standard Time (PST). They were given a two-hour period to search for survivors and retrieve the bodies of the fatalities under collapsed buildings, and to provide medical care to the injured victims.

“Right now as we speak, the team is already deployed so we keep in touch with the team,” Alejandro said. “They were already given assignments and operational na ang team (the team is already operational).

The operation would be on a rotation basis which means that another team will conduct SRR operation every two hours.

After their first day of duty, the team is expected to build a base camp in Adiyaman where they would stay for two weeks, Alejandro said.

The team brought with them 13,412 kilos of cargo composed of medical supplies and equipment, field hospital tents and personnel shelter, food rations, and engineering tools and equipment for SRR.

“We have to understand that this is a real scenario, hindi po ito exercise (this is not an exercise). The Philippines is proud to send them there and we are confident that they will be able to accomplish or fulfill their mission,” Alejandro stressed.