MANAY, Davao Oriental (MindaNews / January 9) – Only 22 full-time responders are employed by the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) in this town of 39,000 residents that had been hit by three strong earthquakes since October last year.

But MDRRMO officer Rechie P. Diuyan told MindaNews on Thursday that the number of responders is augmented during calamities with Army and fire personnel.

She cited the outright update from the Army on Wednesday’s 6.4 magnitude earthquake.

In a message to MindaNews late Friday afternoon, Ednar G. Dayanghirang, Office of Civil Defense Davao Region regional director, said that although there is no “rule of thumb” on the number of responders to be employed, there must be 5-10 trained responders for every 100 households.

“It is best that all members of each household [are] capacitated to respond and help their own families – 1st level responders. The 2nd level would be at the purok levels, volunteer responders must be capacitated,” he said.

He added that responders will be augmented with responders from the barangay and municipal level, with “more skilled and equipped” responders coming from the military, police, Bureau of Fire Protection, and Coast Guard, as needed.

Meanwhile, officer-in-charge Jenie B. Lahora of the Municipal Health Office said no earthquake-related deaths were recorded, only hyperventilation and fainting.

The local government only has two ambulances.

The MDRRMO said it usually receives a single call for emergency assistance per day.

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Manay’s coastline is prone to trench-related and local tsunamis, with its municipal hall located some 120 meters away from Manay Bay, which faces the Pacific Ocean. (Razl EJ Teman/MindaNews)