24 November 2016 – The DFA Regional Consular Office in La Union joins government agencies, Local Government Units (LGUs), Media, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and other civilian groups in Region 1 in the ICT Bayanihan Telecommunication Workshop, a project of Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (DRRMC) in Region I in San Juan, La Union on November 21 to 22.

The workshop was initiated by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) under the leadership of OCD Director and RDRRMC Chairman, Mr. Melchito Castro with the founder of the Emergency Response Integration Center (ERIC), Mr. Christopher Grajo.

The workshop aimed in highlighting the ICT operations from the early preparations to post disasters responses and the ICT players of the Emergency Telecommunications Clusters (ETCs).

Mr. Grajo discussed on the rationale, objectives of ERIC as well as lessons learned from the previous disasters in the country.

The participants in said workshop have formed the various emergency response clusters of RETT in Region I with a main duty to be ready for the immediate deployment of the team upon impact of any disaster in the region. The RETT will soon strengthen the ICT capacities from the region to barangay emergency response providers.

In the said workshop, RCO La Union’s Officer-In-Charge, Ms. Estellita V. Casuga and Information Officer, Mr. Christian Kelvin C. Gonzales were assigned as a member of the Public Information Officers Group as well as member of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) of Rapid Emergency Telecommunications Team (RETT) in Region 1 Disaster Risks Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) with the main duty and responsibility in the event of an emergency: to coordinate relevant information from the region to Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) main office as well as to assist and participate in DRRM operations based on DFA’s role particularly on international humanitarian assistance, if needed.

After the workshop the participants took their oath and signed the Declaration of Commitment as Clusters of RETT. This was followed by the distribution of the Certificates of Attendance to the participants by OIC Estellita Casuga, together with the Region 1’s Director of Office of Civil Defense and Chairperson of RDRRMC, Mr. Melchito M. Castro, and Director of DSWD, Mr. Marcelo Nicomedes J. Castillo, photos attached.  END