TACLOBAN CITY—A team of officials from Leyte embarked on a mission to study Germany’s disaster-management system organized by the International Search and Rescue (ISAR)-Germany.
Vice Gov. Carlo Loreto, who led the team, said their trip taught them ways to further develop Leyte’s pre-disaster preparedness and post-disaster response.
Part of the United Nations rescue mission, ISAR-Germany extended assistance to the recovery of Leyte after the catastrophe through several humanitarian projects in the province.
The humanitarian projects were focused on the reconstruction and supply of rescue equipment, such as ambulances and rescue boats. Part of these ongoing projects is the education of rescuers and trainers.
ISAR-Germany said it will apply for a research-and-development (R&D) project for the promotion and implementation of a disaster-management system for Leyte by the end of 2018.
The project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, will be a common scheme between the Philippines and Germany and will run for three years.
The initiative funds R&D projects within the International Disaster and Risk Management program, or IKARIM. Its goal is the common development and implementation of innovative and application-oriented solutions in the fields of disaster prevention, disaster management and restoration.
The program aims to strengthen the resilience of partner countries against natural and technical risks, as well as the transfer of know-how and the formation of international partnerships for disaster-risk management.
As part of the project, Leyte will receive unmanned aerial vehicles or drones, and communications equipment, among others, as the province’s personnel undergo training while developing solutions to actual challenges during calamities.
Image credits: Vice Gov. Loreto's Facebook Page