Everything is ready for the holding of the 2013 Palarong Pambansa starting Sunday, April 21.
The assurance was given by provincial officials following a three-day contingency planning and incident command system seminar/workshop in Dumaguete last week.
According to Adrian Sedillo, Capitol spokesperson and executive director of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Council, the activity is geared toward ensuring the safety and security of the athletic delegations, government officials from other regions, tourists and the general public during the entire duration of the country’s biggest sporting event.
Sedillo disclosed that Gov. Roel Degamo initiated the contingency planning seminar and workshop after seeing that earlier planning for the Palarong Pambansa was mainly focused on the physical preparations and the games.
The governor wants to ensure that contingency measures are in place in anticipation of unforeseen and unexpected natural calamities as well as man-made hazards. Sedillo cited as an example the experience when Typhoon Pablo hit Dumaguete and other areas in the Province last December during the staging of the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Associations meet.
Governor Degamo has instructed the PDRRMC to craft a complementary plan to the existing plan of the Department of Education, in consultation with the Office of Civil Defense, to put in place effective strategies in responding to disasters when needed, Sedillo said.
The general idea is to come up with a basic structure that, in the event of emergencies, a detailed contingency plan with detailed tasks and responsibilities is already in place, he added. Various response groups with assigned team leaders and hotline numbers are also to be created.
OCD Regional Director Minda Morante is in Dumaguete City to assist in the contingency planning and incident command system workshop, Sedillo said.
Logistics-wise, such as ambulances, rescue groups, transportation and communications were also discussed during the three-day planning to determine existing resources, gaps, and loopholes that need to be improved, he added.
Present during the activity were representatives from government agencies to include the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Army, the Department of Social Welfare & Development, the National Telecommunications Commission, the Provincial Agriculture Office, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Bureau of Fire Protection.
The provincial government of Negros Oriental is the first local government to be solely financing the preparations for the Palarong Pambansa, with an allocation of P25 million and without aid from the national government, Sedillo disclosed.
An estimated 30,000 athletic delegations from 17 regions nationwide, government officials and local and national tourists are expected to flock to Dumaguete City and other parts of the province for the annual Palarong Pambansa, according to its organizers. (PNA/JFP)