Day: July 24, 2023

To achieve a ‘safe and secure public order and emergency first response in the province,’ the Pangasinan provincial board in its regular session on July 24, approved a resolution for the integration of Pangasinan 911 and One Response Command Center.

Said project is supported by a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to be signed by Governor Ramon V. Guico III and among the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)-Philippine Army, Philippine National Police-Pangasinan Police Provincial Office, Bureau of Fire Protection Provincial Office.

Authored by Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) Member Vici Ventanilla, the resolution disclosed that the previous passage of Provincial Resolution No. 189-2023 established the Pangasinan Safety and Emergency Response, Command, Control and Communications (PASER C3) Center as the province’s “emergency 911 hotline center” is designed to ensure public safety and security, maintain public order and respond promptly to emergency situations in the province.

As such, the PASER C3 expanded its service to the community through the 1Response Command Center (1RCC) team composed of Pangasinan Hospital Management Service Office (PHMSO), Provincial Health Office (PHO), Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO), Provincial Agriculture Office (PAgO) and Provincial Government-Environment and Natural Resources Office (PG-ENRO).

To fully implement its mandate, the resolution stated “the Provincial Government of Pangasinan deemed it necessary to establish strategical checkpoints and to create 1st Responder Team” composed of multi-sectoral offices as identified.

The MOA to be signed and entered to is in harmony with the laws, rules and regulations mandated in Republic Act No. 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan.

(Ruby R. Bernardino/Pangasinan PIO)

To address the flood risk in Pangasinan, Governor Ramon V. Guico III is set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Center for Disaster Preparedness Foundation, Incorporated (CDPFI) for the implementation of the ‘Scaling Across Integrated Risk Management at National and Local Levels (SAIL) Project.”

This developed after the provincial board led by Vice Governor Mark Ronald DG. Lambino approved in its regular session on July 24 a resolution binding the partnership of the provincial government and the CDPFI.

As stated in the approved resolution, the CDPFI has chosen the province as the strategic starting point to introduce the ridge-to-reef approach in disaster risk reduction and management.

“Using the ridge-to-reef approach and landscape-wide/river basin modelling, the project will put focus on comprehensive and integrated risk governance through conservation, sustainable management, and restoration of natural ecosystems to increase the resilience of the Agno River Basin communities against the impacts of climate change and natural hazards common and affecting the localities,” the resolution said.

The municipalities of Alcala, Bautista, Bugallon, Lingayen, Mangatarem, Rosales, Urbiztondo, and San Carlos City are the main partners of the provincial government and the CDPFI in the implementation of the SAIL project.

“It is more important than ever for the province to invest in disaster risk reduction management like the SAIL project in order to have a safe, resilient and developed communities,” the resolution which was authored by Board Member Vici Ventanilla stated.

The Agno River which has one of the largest river basins in the country, runs across a catchment area of 5,952 square kilometers within the province. The lower basin runs through several flood prone municipalities including San Manuel, San Nicolas, Tayug, Asingan, Sta. Maria, Rosales, Villasis, Sto Tomas, Alcala, Bautista, Bayambang, Mangatarem, Urbiztondo, part of San Carlos City, Aguilar, Bugallon, Lingayen , and Labrador.

Schedule of activities for the implementation of the project is from October 2022 to September 2025.

(Ruby R. Bernardino/Pangasinan PIO)