BACOLOD City — The Bacolod City Government has deployed the first batch of 600 Community Disaster Preparedness Training Volunteers (CDPTVs), composed mostly of fisherfolk and their families from the city’s coastal barangays.
The initiative aims to strengthen Bacolod’s disaster resilience and emergency response capabilities at the grassroots level.
Mayor Greg Gasataya, together with Councilor Pao Sy and the Bacolod City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO), led the deployment ceremony recently as part of the city’s continuing disaster preparedness efforts under the administration’s HEART agenda.
The volunteers completed the Community Disaster Preparedness Training Program, which equips residents of vulnerable coastal communities with essential skills to respond effectively during emergencies and natural disasters.
Gasataya said the trained volunteers will serve as frontline responders in their respective barangays, helping ensure faster and more organized assistance during calamities.
As recognition for their service, the volunteers received identification cards, official vests, certificates of completion, and 10 kilos of rice each.
The mayor also announced that top-performing volunteers may be given the opportunity to work with the City DRRMO, opening possible career paths in disaster response and public safety.
To further enhance their capabilities, the volunteers are scheduled to undergo specialized cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training on July 6.
The program forms part of Bacolod’s broader strategy to strengthen community-based disaster response systems amid increasing climate-related threats and emergencies.
Meanwhile, Bacolod recently became the first city in the country to adopt the upgraded Unified 911 platform through a partnership with PLDT Enterprise.
Powered by the Genesys cloud platform, the centralized emergency response system features unified call handling, dispatch coordination, GPS tracking, video streaming, and integrated incident reporting.
The initiative also includes the installation of FiberBiz and iGate Premium connectivity across 30 government sites to support emergency operations and improve coordination among response agencies.
The integration of trained community volunteers and advanced emergency communication systems reflects Bacolod’s continuing push to become a more resilient, responsive, and disaster-ready city./PN
