The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) is seeking to strengthen its response capabilities against forest fires.
OCD Administrator Ariel Nepomuceno admitted that the agency encountered some challenges when responding to the wildfires that hit Benguet.
"We are looking for interventions that will support the ongoing response activities and of course for those measures that will offer long-term solutions to address the challenges and pressing concerns," Nepomuceno said in a statement on Thursday, February 29.
The OCD administrator mentioned that last Monday, February 26, the agency, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines met with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to tackle the support of the American government for firefighting operations.
Nepomuceno also said that USAID deployed a team of experts to Baguio City on Tuesday, February 27, to provide technical support to the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council of the Cordillera Administrative Region.
USAID and the US Forest Service Fire Expert conducted an aerial inspection on Wednesday, February 28.
"We thank the US Government, the USAID, and Forest Service Fire Expert for providing technical assistance to relevant agencies and uniformed services on fire suppression," the OCD administrator said.
"We are pushing for the advancement of our country’s capabilities in handling this type of emergency. OCD is committed to facilitating and providing necessary support to realize the improvements that we need for the betterment of the overall fire preparedness," Nepomuceno added.
