PIA-Caraga personnel conducts echo cum briefing on incident command system

By Robert E. Roperos

Friday 18th of May 2012

BUTUAN CITY, May 18 (PIA) –- Personnel of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) - Caraga Region conducted today echo cum briefing on the agency’s role in the incident command system, a systematic tool used for the command, control, and coordination of emergency response.

Jennifer Gaitano, PIA-Caraga monitoring officer and the agency’s assistant focal person to the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC), emphasized that the establishment of the incident command system is to provide a systematic and orderly response in time of emergencies and disasters.

She added that during disasters, all agencies under the council have their respective responsibilities.

For the part of PIA, Gaitano said communication support must at all times be provided during the actual disaster. “Thus, PIA personnel must be present on the site where the disaster happened,” she said.

Also, Gaitano added PIA is in-charge of controlling the communication flow from the source of the information to the recipients through the use of communication channels such as the local tri-media.

Moreover, she said under the incident command system, PIA is responsible to disseminate whatever information will be made by the incident command team under the regional level.

“Personnel from PIA will serve as official spokesperson of the team in the regional level subject for the approval of the local chief executives in the area where the disaster happened,” Gaitano added.

In the case where the local chief executives choose their local public information officers to serve as spokespersons, then PIA will give way.

Gaitano attended the Basic/Intermediate Course on Incident Command System held at Lipata, Surigao City on May 7 to 11, 2012.

The incident command system was introduced in the Philippines through the ASEAN-US Cooperation on Disaster Management. The Phase 1 was held on 2004-2006 and Phase 2 was conducted on 2009-2012. The system was made possible through the US Department of Agriculture – Forest Service (US DA-FS) as implementing agency and USAID as funding agency. (RER/PIA-Caraga)