(DepEd / Manila Bulletin)
To help ensure that the agency is adequately equipped amidst disasters and emergencies, the Department of Education (DepEd) gathered officials and members of the Management Committee (Mancom) for the orientation on the concepts of the Public Service Continuity Plan.
Spearheaded by the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Service (DRRMS), the orientation seeks to guide the officials in crafting the department’s own PSCP.
The PSCP, DepEd said, would cover strategies and mechanisms of a government agency or organization to ensure uninterrupted operations and improved response in times of any disruptions, emergencies, or disasters.
DepEd Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS) Director Christian E. Rivero underscored the importance of the activity as the country observes National Disaster Resilience Month this July.
(Photo from DepEd)
“This reminds us that it is not a question of if it [disaster] happens, but it is a question of when it happens… what we can only do, what we can only control is in terms of preparation,” Rivero said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Meanwhile, Office of Civil Defense representative Raffy Lucas stressed that continuity planning supports the execution of vital duties through rapid and orderly recovery, eliminates disruptions to operations, and ensures succession to agency leadership during disasters and disruptions.
In formulating the agency’s PSCP, Lucas highlighted that the department must know their risks and their resulting impacts, their essential roles, recovery time objective, continuity strategies, and resource requirements, and ensure plan viability through exercises and testing.
Disaster resilience forum
In line with the theme “BIDAng Pilipino: Building a Stronger Filipino Well-being towards Disaster Resilience,” DRRMS also conducted the “Ready at Work, Ready at Home: A Resilience Forum” that acknowledges the importance of one’s well-being in strengthening resilience and preparedness for disasters and other emergencies.
The forum was attended by DepEd Central Office Disaster Management Group (DMG) members and other personnel.
(Photo from DepEd)
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Gladys Canillo, a registered psychologist and psychometrician of the Psychological Association of the Philippines, emphasized the need to ensure the well-being of teachers and other DepEd workers who take care of over 28 million learners.
Germaine Ramirez, Learning and Development Supervisor from the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) also discussed the significance of being prepared, which can help save lives, minimize damage and cost for recovery, prevent loss of assets, ensure community resilience, economic stability, and enhance response capability.