OCD Caraga orients volunteers on disaster response
By Roselle Joyce C. Pasague
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) – To ensure a well-coordinated and effective response during emergencies, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Caraga conducted an orientation on Accreditation and Mobilization of Community Disaster Volunteers on June 24 in Butuan City.
The activity emphasized the importance of accrediting, mobilizing, and protecting the community disaster volunteers (CDVs). It guided the volunteer mobilizing organizations (VMOs) to understand their responsibilities in managing and supporting CDVs within their respective localities.
Through a comprehensive overview of the processes and requirements to become a volunteer, Neil Mamaclay of the operation service of OCD Caraga discussed the standard operating procedures (SOPs) governing the engagement of CDVs. He highlighted the importance of accountability, structure, and sustainability in community-based disaster response.
“It is important to align all the efforts of the volunteers and the role of VMOs to ensure that they conform with the national disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) policies and guidelines,” he said.
He added, “The accreditation process ensures that only capable and organized VMOs are allowed to manage CDVs. Their applications are thoroughly checked and evaluated to ensure the completeness and validity of requirements. This guarantees that both the VMOs and the CDVs they manage are well-prepared, properly trained, and officially recognized to act in times of disasters.”
Through this knowledge build up, communities can rely on an organized and capable network of volunteers that are ready to assist them in risk reduction, emergency response, and recovery efforts, strengthening community-based disaster response in Caraga region. (RJCP, PIA Caraga)
