The local government of Pasig on Wednesday, March 4, turned over hard hats equipped with release buckle whistles to various learning centers in the city as part of its continuing efforts to strengthen disaster preparedness.

The local government said the initiative, led by the Pasig City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (Pasig City DRRMO), aims to further protect students’ safety and ensure better preparedness during disasters and other emergency situations.

Mayor Vico Sotto said that hard hats will be provided for each student in DepEd K–12 classrooms, Child Development Centers, the Special Children Education Institute, the Pasig City Institute of Science and Technology (PCIST), the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Pasig (PLP), and the City Library.

The mayor said that each hard hat costs only P154, compared to the initial estimate of around P300, after a public bidding process. The total cost for the hard hats, including delivery and other fees, amounts to just P24.6 million.

“Dahil sa resulta ng public bidding, nagulat din ako na nakuha natin ito sa P154 lang per hard hat (mula sa mahigit 300 nung unang estimate) x 160K pcs = P24.6M lang kasama na delivery atbp. (Due to the results of the public bidding, I was surprised that we were able to secure each hard hat for only P154 (down from over P300 in the initial estimate). With 160,000 pieces, the total cost comes to just P24.6 million, including delivery and other fees),” he said. 

Aside from the buckle whistles, Sotto said the hard hats also come with reflective stickers and are designed to fit even small children.

“This is a disaster-preparedness project that is also an awareness raising campaign. #Earthquake #Lindol,” he added. 

Sotto stressed the importance of being prepared, pointing out that a major fault line runs through the center of Pasig. 

He said that while they can pray that “the big one” does not occur, its timing will never be predicted, making constant preparedness essential.

“Ito pong paglunsad natin ng programa sa hard hats, sa totoo hindi lang naman ito tungkol sa hard hats mismo. Ito po ay tungkol sa disaster preparedness natin. Kailangan manatili po tayong handa (The launch of this hard hat program is not just about the hard hats. It is about strengthening our disaster preparedness. We must always remain ready),” Sotto said.

“Alam po natin na may matinding fault line na dumadaan sa gitna ng Pasig at araw-araw nagdadasal tayo na manatili tayong ligtas, na hindi dumating ang malaking lindol o ‘big one,' kung tawagin. Pero ang reyalidad ng buhay hindi natin alam kung kailan ‘yan mangyayari. Sana not within our lifetime, pero sa totoo ‘di natin alam. P'wede mangyari ‘yan… there's no way to know, kaya mabuti maghanda na lang tayo. Sumobra man tayo sa paghahanda, okay lang ‘yun (We are aware that a major fault line runs through central Pasig, and every day we pray for safety, hoping the big one will not hit. But in reality, we do not know when it will occur. Hopefully, it will not happen in our lifetime, but the truth is, it could. There is no way to know, so it is better to stay prepared. Even if we prepare more than necessary, that is fine),” the mayor continued.

Meanwhile, Sotto clarified that the hard hats will not be given to the students to take home but will remain in the classrooms to be used during drills or emergencies, ensuring they are not lost and serve their intended purpose.

He also thanked the DRRMO, DepEd, and the Department of Science and Technology–Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-Philvolcs) for showing their support for the program.