UST: DRRM Seminar
On the 17th of October, our NSTP class had a seminar about the things that we should, and shouldn’t do before, during, and after a catastrophe. I have to say, this seminar, like no other, made me feel like I’m involved, and I’m a big part of something. We had various activities that made us open our eyes and gave us new perspectives about what’s really going on around us and what must be done. My experience was truly wonderful and this, I share to all of you.
“Beginning of the talk”
At first, I was feeling kind of sluggish. Of course, we all must admit, that nobody’s really up for seminars especially for us students. As the talk went on, I tried to understand what our lecturer was tackling about, and then I knew what was up and he next thing I knew, I was already taking notes about what’s being discussed (well of course).
I must say, I thought I already had the full knowledge about the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management but then, I was wrong. As the talk was becoming closer to the end, I realized that there are tons of things that we, Filipinos, tend to neglect and might even cause us our lives if we continue this practice. These are some of the few things that I personally think we shouldn’t forget about:
Hazards and Vulnerabilities.Given that the location our country is found to be naturally vulnerable to environmental disasters, we should be more cautious of what’s going to harm our homes when a disaster comes. It’s not enough to have your first aid kits and equipment with you because they wouldn’t help you, nor your family, if the catastrophe is within, or around your house. You should try to outsmart the disaster itself, know everything that’s around your neighbourhood that could put your lives in danger, and be safe.
Risks. I know that we aren’t completely sure that a calamity will come our way, but there’s no harm in being safe. One shouldn’t put one’s life at risk especially when you know that you can do something about it. Knowing the danger that we’re probably going to face will be a huge benefit for us, so like what I’ve mentioned above, this must never be neglected
Yes, we already know the things that might bring us to harm, but in the seminar, there were also advices that will come in handy in the near future:
Capacities. It has one of the most significant roles in bringing our lives to safety. These are the resources and skills people possess that can be an advantage for us because this allows us to have more control in coping with disaster risks.
Bibingka approach.Is also known as “participatory management of disasters”. It got its name from the way a bibingka is cooked; you heat the top and bottom portion of it to be perfectly cooked. Same thing’s done to our society; it brings the national, local government and the people together and teaches them on what to do during a disaster.
And of course, our trustee First Aid Kit.Where would we be without those. This is used as an assistance given to a person suffering an injury or an illness and prevents the condition from worsening.
Now, as we finish the first part of the seminar, the fun part begins!
“PCVA”
We conducted the PCVA after knowing all the information we need for it. Each group was given a chance to write down the hazards, capacities, and vulnerabilities of each member’s hometown. Some were from Cavite, Quezon City, Bulacan, and many various places around the country but what we noticed is that almost everything from our hazards and vulnerabilities are similar. Almost all of us had over population, traffic, and crimes as vulnerabilities, and stuff like that. But also, the capacities we have are also similar.
So after compiling our works, we were given a chance to present our work and explain our experiences during disasters and let everyone know how it affects one area.
Eye-opening indeed, this activity is. I wouldn’t even know that there might be downsides in my area when a disaster comes until we assessed about this.
After our group activity, we had a short game called “Bahay-Tao-Bagyo”. At first, you would think that it’s just a simple game, or maybe it’s just for fun, but from what I experienced, I think it’s more than that. It makes us realize that in times of “bagyo” we need to act as fast as we can and find shelter for ourselves, and same thing goes to the other
“Bahay-Tao-Bagyo”
All these new learning I got from the seminar is truly useful, and for the first time in many seminars I’ve been in, I could finally say that I had a productive and fun time during the seminar. Now that I have the knowledge about DRRM, I decided to interview a representative from the nearest Barangay from my condo.
I learned that they have been conducting different programs to help people learn on the dos and don’ts during a calamity, and of course, the plan to teach the children as well in order to prevent further damage from the disaster.
This whole adventure was truly an amazing experience for me. For that, as a Filipino, I think that we should be cooperative and involved in finding ways to solve the problems, or should I say vulnerabilities, that we have now. We must act together as one nation and take time to think of the things that this country should improve on, and fix it right away to prevent anything bad that could happen. I know that it would take time to perfect this action that I’m planning, but, like a bamboo, we must bounce back and be as flexible as a bamboo and never give up on making our country a better, and safer place to everyone.
