BY RHENJIE MARIE CALANTAS
ILOILO – To equip learners with the necessary knowledge and skills on disaster safety, Pavia National High School (NHS) conducted a Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction (DRRR) Symposium.
With the theme, “Empowering youth with knowledge and skills in building a resilient community through disaster readiness and risk reduction”, the symposium was held at Robinsons Place Pavia yesterday, June 19.
Invited speakers were Bureau of Fire Protection-Pavia Fire Officers Christine Mae T. Bornales, John Henry I. Oducado and Mark Joseph V. Carbon, as well as Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office personnel Rommel A. Jamerlan and Erlina A. Henaros.
“The main purpose of this symposium is to give awareness to students of Pavia NHS, especially STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics] and GAS [General Academic Strand] students as part of their subject. This is to give more informative topics for reducing natural disaster-related deaths, injuries, and property damage through extensive public awareness and education,” said Vicente P. Celestial, a Science teacher at Pavia NHS.
He also said students must be made aware of the environmental threats in their areas.
“Disaster preparedness education can provide life-saving and life-sustaining information and skills to children and young people during and after calamities. To achieve this ambition, students will benefit from this activity as they will gain deeper knowledge about disaster management,” Celestial added.
Meanwhile, student Bernard Josef Ng told Panay News the activity honed their ability to prepare for and act during disasters.
“Ang purpose sang symposium nga ni is ma-hone ang amon ability in case of disasters nga wala kita kabalo kung when ma-occur and nami gid siya nga activity to practice us if ever may calamity or disaster nga maabot sa aton,” said Ng./PN
