The City Government of Iriga, through the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), distributed base radios to 13 barangays with poor mobile signal coverage and a history of becoming isolated during typhoons and other disasters, along with 2 units to the Iriga City Environment and Natural Resources Office (ICENRO), on July 27 at the Iriga City Sports Center.
Punong barangays and barangay tanods took part in the distribution, which also served as a training session led by Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Jasmin B. Botor. Participants were taught emergency call handling, radio etiquette, and the possible actions barangays can take during emergencies, with particular emphasis placed on the importance of early reporting during emergencies as a crucial step in ensuring a faster response.
This distribution marks only Phase 1 of the initiative, with more radios expected to reach additional barangays in the succeeding phases.
Through this initiative, barangays that are often the hardest to reach during calamities gain a reliable line of communication with the city government, helping ensure that help and information can still get through even when regular mobile networks fail.
Source: Lungsod Ng Iriga