ILOILO – Disaster responders from more than 15 municipalities put their life-saving skills to the test as the Iloilo Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) launched its first-ever DRRM Operational Readiness Simulation Exercises, or Rescuelympics 2025, on Saturday, Nov. 29, at the Iloilo Sports Complex in La Paz.
The province-wide competition pushed responders and volunteers to perform under pressure in events such as vehicular accident extrication, standard first aid, knot-tying drills, and tug-of-war — core competencies in real emergency scenarios.
The activity carried the theme “Strength in Preparation, United in MoRProgGRes Action: Advancing DRRM Field Competence for Resilient Communities.”
PDRRMO head, retired Police Colonel Cornelio Salinas, said the event sought to measure how effectively municipal responders apply DRRM protocols on the ground.
“Ang pinaka-objective is to test the response skills of the MDRRMOs in the different events such as basic life support, first aid, know tying, and vehicular extrication. One way also to give recognition to our responders in course of how they do the response system or protocols,” Salinas said.
Beyond competition, Salinas said the event also aims to build camaraderie and identify areas for improvement through further training.
He expressed pride in Iloilo’s responders, noting their commitment despite lean numbers.
Salinas said responders and volunteers, though few, “masarangan nila nga maghatag sang protection sa more or less million Ilonggos.”
With this being the inaugural year of the simulation, Salinas hopes participation will grow in the years ahead.
Top Performers
* Vehicular Extrication – Maasin
* Tug of War – Guimbal
* Standard First Aid Relay – Oton
* Best in Knot Tying – Passi City
Cash prizes awarded to the winners will be used to purchase emergency response equipment, including vehicles. A photo from the Iloilo Police Provincial Office showed Passi City responders demonstrating vehicular extrication techniques during the drills./PN
