Dapat Ready | Schoolteacher advocates disaster preparedness

In a secluded community in the province of Aklan, one teacher works for his community’s welfare by informing and training his co-teachers and the entire student body how to prepare against natural disasters.

Roland Espartero has been a teacher for many years. In 2015, he was invited by World Vision to attend a Disaster Management and Preparedness workshop. The event trained participants how to prepare communities against natural disasters.

Realizing that his workplace belongs to a disaster-prone community, Roland committed his time and efforts to impart his learning to the school.

“During heavy rains, the nearby stream would overflow and cause flooding in the school premises. There were also instances of earthquake. The teachers are worried about the students since it is our responsibility to keep them safe,” the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) advocate said.

Rolando posted signage and tarpaulins in the school to spread awareness to the students. He also taught them about the Duck, Cover and Hold earthquake drill.

“We used to think that the safest place to evacuate during flood is the barangay hall. During the World Vision training, we mapped hazardous areas in our community and discovered that our proposed evacuation center is one of the hazardous places,” he shared.

World Vision complemented Rolando’s efforts by providing emergency kits to the students. Each kit consists of a whistle, flashlight and other emergency essentials.

“The teachers hope that when a real disaster strikes, the students will be able to perform the preparedness we have practiced.”World Vision/January 13, 2017