ILOILO City – To further enhance its disaster risk reduction and management program, the city government has linked up with Megaworld Corporation for the establishment of another Iloilo City Action and Response (ICARE) Center, this time at the Iloilo Business Park in Mandurriao district.
“We are establishing these facilities to immediately respond to emergencies and urgent situations. Our goal is to create a more resilient metropolis for all,” said Mayor Jerry Treñas who was cited as “Resilience Champion” by the National Resilience Council.
Megaworld donated a 2,500-square meter lot at its 72-hectare Iloilo Business Park for the center – yet another demonstration of the city government’s strong partnership with the private sector.
On March 3, Treñas and Alliance Global Group’s chief executive officer Kevin Tan, together with Tingog Party-list’s Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez, led the ceremonial capsule laying for what will be called the “Iloilo Business Park ICARE Center.” Romualdez, wife of House Speaker Martin Romualdez represented First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.
The two-storey center will house satellite offices of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO), Philippine National Police (PNP), and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), among others.
It will also allot spaces for the barangay hall of Barangay Airport, Mandurriao, the district’s health center, and a library.
“It will make the area more safe and resilient for investors, their employees and residents of condominium buildings and nearby barangays,” said Treñas.
The momentous event was also graced by Megaworld Corporation’s chief operating officer Lourdes Gutierrez Alfonso, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) chairman and chief executive officer Alejandro H. Tengco, Rear Admiral (ret.) Alexander Pama representing the National Resilience Council, Uswag Ilonggo Party-list’s Rep. James “Jojo” Ang, Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon, and city councilors and department heads, among others.
Treñas added that Megaworld’s P20-million worth of assistance, facilitated by the National Resilience Center of the Philippines, will ensure Iloilo City will have the much needed facilities and equipment at the ICARE Command Center.
Donna Magno, CDRRMO chief, said Megaworld’s assistance will be in the form of supplies and equipment for the command center such as additional handheld monitoring and network devices, television monitors, equipment for teleconferencing, and power generators, among others.
“The support of Megaworld for the ICARE Center is very much appreciated,” said Treñas.
The city mayor noted Megaworld has also been supportive of the other undertakings of the city. He cited its donation of a total of 30 waitingsheds along the stretch of the city’s famed Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue (Diversion Road) in Mandurriao district and its huge support for the Iloilo Dinagyang Festival 2023.
Apart from this, Megaworld, through its Festive Mall, provided a free of charge space for the city government’s offsite payment center – an initiative that brings the services of the city hall closer to the people.
For his part, Tan said as a company, they have always been a firm believer of public-private partnerships, citing Iloilo as a great example of how bold the public and private sectors can work together for the benefit of the people.
“The Iloilo Business Park ICARE Center will be a vital piece of our township going forward. This new facility will not only boost our emergency response and disaster preparedness, but will also bring a sense of security to the community as they will have a police station, fire station, health center, city library, and barangay center within their place of work and residence,” said Tan.
Through the ICARE Command Center and its satellite centers, the city government aims to establish an integrated response network that would bring emergency safety and disaster management services closer to the people.
Once operational, the Iloilo Business Park ICARE Center will be the fifth or sixth in the city.
“The support of Megaworld daku nga bagay because we don’t need to look for funds kay ara na,” said Magno.
The four other centers that are now operational are the Esther Jamora ICARE Center in Barangay Ungka, Jaro district; ICARE Command Center in Barangay San Rafael, Mandurriao; and the ICARE satellite centers in Barangay Calumpang, Molo district and Barangay Balantang, Jaro.
Two more ICARE satellite centers are being constructed in Barangay Nabitasan, La Paz district and Barangay Tanza Esperanza, City Proper, plus another three at the Central Philippine University and in Barangay Bo. Obrero, Lapuz and Barangay Balabago, Jaro.
ICARE centers receive calls for emergency assistance such as for trauma cases, vehicular accidents, and even for the transport of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, among other medical emergencies.
The satellite centers are connected to the command center for seamless coordination and response.
Magno said the facilities have emergency communications equipment, including security cameras that serve as the command center’s and its satellite centers’ “eyes on the ground.”
They make it easy to monitor the situation on the ground such as the flow of traffic, vehicular accidents, etc., she explained.
Magno said they are also strengthening the competencies of ICARE personnel, improving the processes in the provision of technical inputs and implementation of DRR programs, strengthening DRR partnerships like with volunteer emergency/rescue groups, and putting in place protocols for Iloilo City Emergency Response (ICER) team.
In December last year, Iloilo City was cited as “Beyond Compliant” at the 22nd Gawad KALASAG Seal for Excellence in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management and Humanitarian Assistance for Local DRRM Councils and Offices given by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council./PN
