Manila: The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has urged schools in Eastern Visayas to establish their disaster response protocols, stressing the importance of instilling disaster awareness among students. OCD Eastern Visayas regional director Lord Byron Torrecarion emphasized the necessity of this practice, given the region’s susceptibility to multiple hazards.
According to Philippines News Agency, Torrecarion pointed out the significance of integrating disaster management into the education system, drawing a parallel to practices in Japan where such education begins as early as elementary school. He underscored that teaching disaster response not only prepares students for emergencies but also fosters a spirit of volunteerism and patriotism. Torrecarion highlighted the Philippines’ position as number one in the global risk index for the past three years, underscoring the urgency of this initiative.
Torrecarion also encouraged students to disseminate the knowledge of disaster response within their families and communities, enhancing public awareness and preparedness. He suggested that incorporating disaster management into the education system would yield a base of trained or partially trained volunteers through student-level grassroots programs. The OCD is willing to provide technical assistance to schools in developing their disaster response protocols.
Torrecarion cited the example of Visayas State University (VSU) in Baybay City, which successfully evacuated over 500 students from the Upper Dormitories to safer grounds on August 26, 2025, following a heavy downpour that caused flooding. This evacuation was executed in line with the school’s disaster resilience and management office (DRMO) protocol, which prioritizes student safety amid adverse weather conditions affecting both the campus and nearby areas.
Engineer Andy Phil Cortes, VSU DRMO director, explained that the evacuation protocol is activated after six hours of continuous rainfall or three hours of heavy downpour. Students are informed via official group chats to move to designated evacuation sites and are advised to bring essential documents and a “Go Bag.”
VSU’s disaster protocols were developed in collaboration with the university’s Disaster Management Committee, geotechnical engineering, and meteorology experts. To further strengthen preparedness, the VSU president plans to institutionalize disaster management education across all courses and in its laboratory school, as mentioned by Cortes.
