OCD-6 Regional Director Raul E. Fernandez conducts an inspection for the ASEAN economic ministers meeting in Iloilo City. (PIA Western Visayas)
ILOILO CITY — The security and emergency group is all set for the 49th meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) economic ministers in this city beginning Wednesday, Feb. 25.
The Site Task Group Emergency Preparedness and Response-Regional Incident Management Team (STGEPR-RIMT) is led by Office of Civil Defense-6 Regional Director Raul E. Fernandez.
As chairman of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council-6, Fernandez coordinated inspection of key areas, including the Iloilo Airport, venue meetings, and hotels.
Economic ministers and other delegates from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam will be here until Friday, Feb. 27.
A comprehensive simulation exercise was conducted in case of emergency.
More than 1,700 security personnel have been deployed, from the Iloilo City Police, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, and Iloilo provinces, Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Bureau of Fire Protection.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology has deployed a Government Emergency Communications System-Mobile Operations Vehicle for Emergency.
The Iloilo City DRRMO, the Philippine Red Cross-Iloilo, and volunteer fire brigades are also part of STGEPR-RIMT.
Face-to-face classes were suspended from Wednesday to Friday and a gun ban has been implemented from Feb. 20 to March 1.