THE Office of Civil Defense in Davao Region (OCD-Davao) is stepping up disaster preparedness efforts, urging households and communities to understand local hazards and take practical steps to protect themselves.
The regional office is leading activities for the 2026 observance of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, which promotes household preparedness and grassroots awareness.
In the Philippines, the observance carries the theme “Panatag na Tahanan at Paaralan” (Safe and Secure Homes and Schools) under the expanded Panatag Pilipinas 3.0 campaign. The Office of Civil Defense is leading the initiative with the Department of Education, the Presidential Communications Office, and the World Bank.
Aligned with the global theme “Resilience Starts at Home,” the campaign features 28 preparedness videos covering different hazards. The videos aim to turn homes and schools into learning hubs where families, students, and communities can share disaster preparedness knowledge.
Speaking at the Kapehan sa Dabaw media forum at SM City Davao on Oct. 12, OCD-Davao Regional Director Ednar Dayanghirang said disaster risk reduction must begin at home and within communities.
National agencies, local government units, and barangay responders play vital roles, he said, but households must also know how to respond to emergencies before help arrives.
Dayanghirang backs water storage advice
Dayanghirang also discussed preparations for the looming El Niño, citing Marcos’ advice for households to buy buckets and collect rainwater when it rains.
“Bumili na kayo ng balde para ‘pag umulan, makolekta na ninyo lahat (Buy buckets now so you can collect the rainwater when it rains),” Marcos said during a media briefing in Singapore on Oct. 11.
Dayanghirang acknowledged that some people might find the advice amusing but said it made practical sense.
“It sounds funny, but it is true. Even before the president said that, mao na na ang akong pahimangno three to four months ago (That had already been my advice three to four months ago),” he said.
Although Davao City’s water supply remains relatively stable, Dayanghirang said households should still prepare by storing water. He noted that the local water district was using only about half of its production capacity and could share resources.
He also said Marcos understood local conditions because of his experience as a governor.
“It sounds funny, but it is true. It is relevant,” Dayanghirang said.
‘Walk the Fault’ campaign set
Dayanghirang also explained why authorities have intensified hazard mapping and the “Walk the Fault” campaign, which raises awareness of active fault lines and areas at risk from earthquakes.
Although fault lines have long existed in the country, newer technologies have helped authorities map them more precisely, including in areas where communities have already been established, he said.
“Recent lang ang mga technologies na available na through satellite (The technologies available through satellites are relatively new),” he said.
OCD-Davao, in partnership with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and other agencies, will conduct another round of the “Walk the Fault” campaign in Davao City and Digos City, Davao del Sur.
The Davao City activities are scheduled for Oct. 19-23 and will cover vulnerable areas, including Malagos, Gumalang, Manambulan, Tagakpan, Camansi, Subasta, Cawayan, Alambre and Tagluno.
After surveying the areas, authorities plan to install permanent warning signs to alert residents to ground hazards.
Dayanghirang said disaster preparedness requires cooperation across government agencies, local governments and communities.
“So dili puwedeng one agency, one LGU lang. It has to be a whole-of-government, whole-of-nation and whole-of-society approach (One agency or one local government unit cannot do it alone. It requires a whole-of-government, whole-of-nation and whole-of-society approach),” he said. GRS