emi

Pasig City Government continues to be a leader among Metro Manila Local Government Units (LGUs) in emergency response and preparedness. Spearheaded by Mayor Roberto Eusebio and the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, it is recognized nationally for its accomplishments, having won three Gawad Kalasag Awards as one of the best equipped and prepared LGUs in Metro Manila and one of few in the entire country.

Amidst the city’s current capabilities, it is periodically beset by floods. The Typhoon Ondoy flood disaster has prompted the Pasig City Government to invest in risk reduction measures. Adding to the urgency is the looming danger of a devastating earthquake with a possible magnitude of 7.2 on the West Valley Fault. The fault transects the Western part of the city and will possibly cause large damage severities within the city. Pasig City Government has always catered to the needs of its residents and the numerous offices and institutions that the city has been hosting through the different services. From the perspective of Disaster Risk Reduction, these services include, among others, the protection of life, property, environment and socio-economic institutions.

As part of the implementation of the Pasig City Resilience to Earthquakes and Floods Project, EMI reviewed and upgraded the city’s Emergency Management (EM) System. EMI conducted several activities such as the comprehensive EM System assessment, the 3-Module EM) Training, desk review of documents (e.g. plans) and field investigations. These activities resulted to:

1. An overview of capabilities, organization and gaps of Pasig City EM System to selected Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) standards and ensuing provision of recommendations for improvements in the system and in the system and physical requirements.
2. The sharing of EM concepts, fundamentals and standards to officials and responders of the city government and its allied institutions including thorough discussions on the topics of Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and planning process, Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and Incident Command System (ICS).
3. Improving existing emergency plans according to international standards and providing the thrust for all Pasig City stakeholders to formulate the EOP.
4. Setting up of 15 Emergency Support Functions (ESF) for Pasig City with the participation of more than 60 offices and organizations.

The details of EMI’s engagement on Emergency Management for Pasig City can be found in the Pasig City Emergency Management System: Review and Upgrade Report, which was just recently delivered to the city by EMI. The report also presents the key findings and recommendations for improving and upgrading Pasig City’s emergency management system. In addition, it includes an overview of the existing Pasig City organization and emergency management system. The conclusion provides suggestions for defining the “way forward” to continue the planning process that has begun as part of EM project component. The report is part of the deliverables of the Pasig City Resilience to Earthquakes and Floods Project.

For more information on the project, please contact the Project Coordinator, EnP Joyce Lyn L. Salunat-Molina:    This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it