About O C D INSIDE Serving the Nation, Protecting the People Disasters impact our nation more As the Office of Civil Defense than the number of deaths, injuries commemorates its 60th Founding Pre-Disaster and missing, and even more than the Anniversary, it is reminded of the sad Risk Assessment amount of damages to infrastructure, realities that disasters bring to our agriculture and economy. Beyond the country and our people. Given the page 4 statistics are stories of despair, fear primary mission of administering the and hopelessness from people country’s disaster risk reduction and Earthquake Drill affected, especially from those who management (DRRM) program, OCD page 5 are already suffering from poverty. unceasingly work to reduce the Families lose breadwinners. vulnerabilities and raise the Communities lose livelihood. Filipinos capabilities of communities against Disaster Consciousness lose opportunities with economic and natural and man-made hazards. social development either held back Month or delayed due to disasters. Under principles of good governance, page 6 OCD continues to build a culture of It is in this same context that the excellence within the organization in NDRRMC, MTRCB Office of Civil Defense was born. The order to facilitate the delivery of people’s suffering during World War programs, projects and actions. In Partnership II, the country’s vulnerability and the context of DRRM, this culture of page 7 exposure to hazards, and the nuclear excellence means more and better arms race of world superpowers government actions that will ensure prompted the government to pass the communities are better prepared. New NDDRM Civil Defense Act of 1954, Operations Center establishing the National Civil Sixty years may have passed, yet page 8 Defense Administration, or NCDA. In OCD remains faithful to its 1972, NCDA was abolished and its commitment to continue serving the functions and personnel were nation and protecting its people, by NDRRMC. SMART transferred to a new agency, the working for a safer, climate-adaptive current OCD. and disaster-resilient Philippines. Unveil Batingaw page 9 Civil Defense Across the Nation pages 10 - 15 Community-based DRRM page 16-17 Civil Service Celebration page 18 Awareness and Preparedness page 19 ON COVER. The design is a collage of photographs of Office of Civil Defense officials and employees in action as they perform their duties and responsibilities as civil servants. The number 60 is added to commemorate the 60th Founding Anniversary of the agency on 18 August 2014. 2 National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management OCD Celebrates 60 Years of Serving the Nation “Our job requires more from us because there are a lot of things at stake here: not just lives, but also the future of our state. Ours is a task of herculean proportions, a task given only to heroes and people who have a strong inclination to heroism. I encourage all of us to make the most of this privilege to be a hero,” said Civil Defense Administrator Usec Alexander P Pama during the gathering of officers and staff in the celebration of OCD’s 60th Founding Anniversary held at the NDRRMC Conference room last 18 August 2014. The anniversary observance began with a Eucharistic Celebration officiated by Father Dionisio Belleno CHS and attended by the Usec Alexander Pama, Civil Defense Deputy Administrator Dir. Romeo Fajardo, Civil Defense Office of Civil Defense Building in Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City. Executive Officer Dir. Honorato de los (NCDA) to its metamorphosis into the discussions on their lives as Reyes, the Chiefs of the OCD Divisions Office of Civil Defense in 1979 by employees of the institution. and Sections, and the officers and virtue of Presidential Decree No. 1566 staff. and its expansion of responsibilities In the Central Office, the CDA through the enactment of Republic Act explained that OCD’s 60th year poses a In Father Belleno’s homily, he 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk challenge due to the burden of greater congratulated OCD for reaching Reduction and Management Act of expectations, not just from the another milestone year and 2010. government itself, but more from the commended OCD’s tireless efforts to Filipino people and that greater service maintain the safety of the Filipino Thanksgiving masses were also must be rendered in order to meet people against the threat of disasters offered by the Regional Centers, such expectations. He urged that the and calamities. followed by presentations of OCD’s workforce should put great stock on history and the Message of the CDA OCD’s core values to achieve the Following the Mass was a presentation was read to the regional staff along collective goal of our institution: of the history of OCD, delivered by with Regional Directors’ personal commitment, integrity, teamwork, Marlon Obligado of the Plans and congratulatory messages. Other excellence, professionalism, Programs Division, from its origins as a regional officers highlighted their accountability and people- product of the enactment of the Civil celebrations with DRRM campaigns centeredness. (Mark Cashean E. Defense Act of 1954 which created the and information-education activities. Timbal) National Civil Defense Administration They also used the time to conduct 18 August 31 December 11 June 27 May 1954 1972 1978 2010 The National Civil Letter of Implementation Presidential Decree No. Republic Act 10121 Defense Administration No. 19 abolished NCDA 1566 was issued to (Philippine Disaster Risk (NCDA) was established and transferred its strengthen the country’s Reduction and through Republic Act functions and personnel disaster control capability Management Act) was 1190 (Civil Defense Act). to a new agency, the and establish community signed to strengthen the Office of Civil Defense. disaster preparedness country's disaster risk program nationwide. reduction and management system. 3 National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management NDRRMC Utilizes PDRA for Zero-Casualty Disaster Preparedness The National and Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (NDRRMC and RDRRMCs) begun utilizing the Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment (PDRA) in preparation for the various tropical cyclones that the country experienced during the third quarter of the year. By virtue of NDRRMC Memorandum Circular No. 17 series of 2014, signed by the Chairperson and Secretary of National Defense Voltaire T. Gazmin on 18 August 2014, PDRA is institutionalized into the policies and action plans of the Council to further enhance its disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) mechanisms. PDRA is a process to evaluate a hazard’s level of risk given the degree NDRRMC Executive Director and OCD Administrator presides over the Pre- of exposure and vulnerability in a Disaster Risk Assessment (PDRA) Core Group Meeting on 12 September 2014 specific area. It presents the possible at the NDRRMC Operations Center in preparation for Tropical Storm Luis impacts to the populace and serves as (International Name: Kalmaegi). a basis to determine the appropriate level of response actions from the assessment process is based on the After Typhoon Glenda, PDRA was also national level government agencies dynamics and interoperability of the utilized by the RDRRMCs in Northern down to the local government units. four DRRM thematic areas. Luzon in preparation for Tropical Storm Henry. Regional Directors Melchito M. What makes PDRA distinct from other During its early development stages, Castro of OCD Region I and Norma C. assessment tools is that it is hazard- PDRA was already first utilized at the Talosig of OCD Region II acted as the specific, time-bound and area-focused. onset of Typhoon Glenda (International Chairs of their respective PDRA Core Among its ultimate goals is to achieve Name: Rammasun) in July. The PDRA Teams. Because of its proven zero-casualty during disasters. To Core Team was convened to project usefulness in Glenda and Henry, reach this goal, an assessment is the impacts of the typhoon to specific PDRA was again utilized by the carried out by the PDRA Core Team areas in the country. Based on the NDRRMC in the succeeding tropical composed of scientific and technical findings, the NDRRMC was able to cyclones Luis and Mario in September. experts from the NDRRMC, and is give the appropriate warnings to the chaired by Usec Alexander P. Pama, local government and the public, and PDRA as a new system is aligned with Civil Defense Administrator and implement the proper response the zero-casualty target of the NDRRMC Executive Director. The actions. government in managing hazards. OCD I Regional Director Melchito M. OCD II Regional Director Norma C. OCD VI Regional Director Rosario T. Castro gives instructions during the Pre Talosig queries the presenters during Cabrera presides the Pre-Disaster Risk -Disaster Risk Assessment meeting in the Pre-Disaster Assessment meeting Assessment meeting in preparation for San Fernando City, La Union. (OCD I) in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan. (OCD II) Tropical Storm Henry. (OCD VI) 4 National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Manila Hosts 3rd Quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill The National Disaster Risk Reduction challenges of disaster risk reduction WHAT TO DO and Management Council (NDRRMC) and management. nd conducted the 2 Quarter Nationwide When an earthquake strikes while you Simultaneous Earthquake Drill for 2014 The drill highlighted the capability of are at home, in a school classroom or with the City of Manila as the both the national and local inside an office, do the DUCK, COVER ceremonial venue on July 2, 2014 in governments in responding to and HOLD! Roxas Boulevard (near Diamond emergency situations specifically in the Hotel). management of the incident command system (ICS), the evacuation of the Spearheaded by the Office of Civil affected populace, with focus on the Defense (OCD) through its Regional women, children, elderly and persons Office for the National Capital Region with disabilities and in the provisioning DUCK under a sturdy desk or table. (NCR) and in partnership with other of medical assistance and relief.