On September 4, 2003, the Philippine
Mine Safety and Environment Association (PMSEA) unveiled its most ambitious
program - Safety Networking Action
Program (SNAP). The SNAP advocates
an integrated approach to prevention, preparedness, and quick response to
natural and man-made emergencies in support of the national government’s
disaster and coordination program. It
aims to link in a more coherent and effective way the trained cadre of
emergency response, search and rescue/ recovery experts of the mining industry
(metallic and nonmetallic mines and cement plants) during times of emergencies
and disasters. It also envisions to
have full pledged institutional structure that will develop the capacity to
organize and conduct trainings, equipment and logistics sharing, communication
networking, relief and medical assistance centers, and other collaborative
arrangement with concerned agencies, as well as international organizations.
Objectives
Ĺ
To assess the present capability of the mining
industry to respond to emergencies and disasters and to conduct an inventory of
available emergency equipment that may be tapped;
Ĺ
To harness the mining industry’s awareness and
preparedness during emergencies and/or natural/man-made disasters within the “holy hour” on a nationwide basis;
Ĺ
To initiate people’s awareness in emergency
identification;
Ĺ
To organize and train community-based emergency
response teams;
Ĺ
To form a safety network of resources of the mining
industry with other industries and government institutions; and
Ĺ
To link up with local and international donor
institutions to support the safety network.
Implementation
Strategies
Phase 1 - Setting
Up of the “Safety Net” within the PMSEA
Initially,
the PMSEA will solicit commitments from member-companies to be part of the
network. The industry’s capabilities
will be assessed, including the inventory of available emergency
equipment/resources.
Phase
2 - Linkages with Other Agencies
The
PMSEA will coordinate with other government and private agencies (i.e.,
National and Local Disaster Coordinating Councils, Philippine National Red
Cross, etc.), regarding the safety net, which will lead to a signing of a
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) defining the contributions and obligations of
each organization.
Communications
companies/media will also be encouraged to be part of the “Safety Net” and be a
signatory to the MOA due to its critical role in times of emergencies.
Phase
3 - Continuous Training
Since
the PMSEA member-companies have sufficient number of trained Emergency Response
Teams (ERTs), it has the ability to train additional personnel and upgrade
their capabilities and skills.
Further, ERT of
member-companies will also act as trainors for the creation of community-based
emergency response team(s). Once fully
organized, community and company response teams will be working hand in hand
during an emergency. Eventually,
community-based ERTs will be competent enough to respond on their own.
Phase
4 - Conduct of Drills
To
constantly test ERTs’ readiness, the PMSEA will be conducting a one-day annual
nationwide drill and dry-runs. The
drill hopes to continuously assess the competency and effectiveness of each
member-company and trained community.
Phase
5 - Continuous Research
The
PMSEA, in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB), will conduct continuous
research on new technologies, strategies, and equipment in emergency response
preparedness that may be used by the organized ERTs. This will be part of the inventory of the capability and
equipment of the Safety Net.
If a warning
bulletin or information is issued for an impending disaster and/or emergency
(such as typhoons, floods, tsunamis, and other meteorological hazards by
PAGASA; volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and other geological hazards by
PHIVOLCS; radiological emergencies by PNRI; epidemics by DOH; and civil unrest
by PNP/AFP/DND) by any agency, the National Disaster Management Center (NDMC)
shall mobilize the concerned regional/field office(s) and, at the same time,
warn the general public through media broadcast.
The
NDMC, upon knowing the warning bulletin or disaster report(s), shall:
1.
Assess and evaluate the information as to the
magnitude of emergency and extent of damage;
2.
Disseminate the alert notice to the OCDRC/RDCC, and
to the cooperating agencies, including the mining industry’s “Safety Net”, to
be prepared for the possible activation of the response programs;
3.
Activate the Emergency Broadcast System, if and
when necessary;
4.
Deploy rapid need and damage assessment teams and
establish an Incident Command Post in the affected area;
5.
Mobilize NDCC Response Team to augment regional and
local DCCs handling the activities;
6.
Monitor and coordinate preparedness and actions
taken by cooperating/implementing agencies, RDCCs and LDCCs to ensure that
requirements in the affected areas are effectively addressed and acted upon;
7.
Prepare and submit progress/accomplishment reports
to the DND Secretary/NDCC Chairman; President of the Philippines, NDCC
member-agencies, and other concerned agencies; and
8.
Recommend to the President the declaration of a
State of Calamity on the affected area(s), if necessary.
PMSEA
is a non-stock, non-profit sectoral organization dedicated to the pursuit of
continual improvement of current mining industry’s practices on mine safety and
health, emergency preparedness and response, and environmental and social
management.
In the past, major natural disasters/calamities struck our country with often-harsh results to both lives and property. The PMSEA feels strongly of its moral responsibility to share the members’ technical skills and expertise, as well as heed the call of Her Excellency, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for a strong and caring republic. It can be recalled that, during the 1990 killer earthquake in the country, personnel of the mining industry demonstrated courage and skills in the search and rescue operations that saved a number of trapped victims, which reduced loss of lives, and serious disabilities.
The
PMSEA, in cooperation with the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (CMP) and
the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences
Bureau (DENR-MGB), is formally organizing this capability of the mining
industry in order to respond to nationwide emergencies, may it be natural or
man-made. The Program is to be known as
the ”Safety Net”.
ACRONYMS
PMSEA – Philippine
Mine Safety and Environment Association
DENR – Department of Environment and Natural Resources
MGB – Mines and Geosciences Bureau
CMP – Chamber of Mines of the Philippines
NDMC – National
Disaster Management Center
PNRC – Philippine National Red Cross
PAGASA – Philippine
Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
PHILVOCS – Philippine
Institute of Volcanology and Seismology
PNRI – Philippine Nuclear Research Institute
DOH – Department of Health
PNP – Philippine National Police
AFP – Arm Forces of the Philippines
DND – Department of National Defense
OCD-NDCC – Office
of Civil Defense-National Disaster Coordinating Council
OCDRC – Office
of Civil Defense Regional Council
RDCC – Regional Disaster Coordinating Council
LDCC – Local Disaster Coordinating Council