𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊: Ret. Col. Dennis Francis Pastor, head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), highlighted during the Capitol’s “iStorya Cebu” program on May 22 the flagship projects of Governor Pamela Baricuatro for disaster preparedness, including the establishment of two strategic warehouses in Danao City in the north and Sibonga in the south.
These facilities will serve as hubs for the prepositioning of relief goods, rescue equipment, and personnel to ensure faster and more efficient emergency response during disasters.
Pastor said that Gov. Baricuatro has pushed for a centralized PDRRMO command center to strengthen coordination and real-time response operations, following earthquakes and typhoons that the province experienced in 2025. On January 9, 2026, the governor led the blessing and inauguration of the command center at the Capitol-owned lot in Sitio Grotto, Barangay Apas, Cebu City.
Despite inheriting limited manpower, non-operational vehicles, and inadequate facilities, Pastor said the PDRRMO has continued delivering effective disaster response under Governor Baricuatro’s leadership.
“When I came in, there were only 10 personnel and only three responders. The vehicles were not running, and we had a very dilapidated office,” Pastor said. “I even lent my cellphone to the command center because they didn’t even have one.”
He added that the office is also enhancing public preparedness through localized information campaigns using the Cebuano language and improved recovery systems through the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA). /𝑪𝑨𝑷𝑰𝑻𝑶𝑳 𝑷𝑰𝑶, 𝑪𝑵𝑼 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑬𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒂𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒉 𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆
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