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Rescuers in action. AMVI Emergency Response Team composed of volunteer company employees trained and equipped to save lives as well as assist during calamities simulate a rescue operation during the PDRRMO exercises.
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High performance. Safety Officer Kurt Zion Villar Torres (extreme Left) leads the Agata ERT in being capable and dependable stewards in times of disaster and mass casualty.
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Agata ERT in full rescue gear simulate a mass casualty rescue operation during the PDRRMO exercises.
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The ADNERT team (in photo with Agata ERT) collaborates with rescuers from other government line agencies such as the Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine National Police and the PDRRMO.
AMVI team shines in Agusan del Norte PDRRMO exercises
Butuan City, Agusan del Norte / March 2017 – Agata Mining Ventures Inc. (AMVI), joint nickel laterite mining project of TVI Resource Development Philippines Inc. (TVIRD) and MRL Nickel Philippines, recently bested other teams in the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) competition in Agusan del Norte. The company actively participated through its trained Emergency Rescue Team (ERT) composed of employees from its Safety, Environmental Management, Mines and Exploration Departments and bagged first place – tied with the Philippine National Police (PNP)–Caraga – in the Mass Casualty and Basic Life Support Rescue Exercises.
The three-day exercises spearheaded by PDRRMO Officer Erma Suyo, who also enjoined a team of young participants, Agusan Norte Emergency Response Team (ADNERT) – students from nine secondary schools in the province. ADNERT is the agency’s arm in the region’s academic institutions for mobilizing and instilling disaster management, skills development and rescue awareness in the communities – including AMVI areas.
Leading the way
Agata is the sole mining company and private sector representative to face the challenge of disaster risk reduction and management across its ranks. It also took greater strides in equipping and capacitating community rescue teams – barangay officials and volunteers alike – with rigid training through the agency’s facilitators.
At the moment, there are over 1,000 individuals who were trained and soon to be appointed by the municipal governments and their respective communities in sharing their experiences and assist in times of need.
“Agata has upheld the essence of greater responsibility being a corporate entity that operates in Agusan del Norte’s most disaster-prone municipalities. It is highly commendable and has earned the Governor’s recognition in fully supporting the activities related to disaster reduction and management,” according to Ms. Suyo who explained Gov. Angel Amante’s call for private corporations and large-scale industries to participate.
Another milestone in community preparedness
During the three-day activity, the PDRRMO updated the participants with further skills enhancement on First Aid and CPR, Basic Fire Fighting, Radio Handling and Single Rope Technique. This was followed by a competition conducted by the agency.
The Bureau of Fire Protection, PNP Bomb Squad and Agusan del Norte Incident Command System have demonstrated to the young participants the response scenario through the incident benchmarking. Likewise, Agata ERT executed the triage and performed lead rescue operations during the activity.
An estimated 700 students and individuals took part in the exercises while most of the municipalities in the province were also well-represented.
Last year, AMVI forged a legacy-building best practice in the region through back-to-back five-day community trainings on Basic Life Support (BLS), Standard First Aid (SFA) and Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) Management. The PDRRMO also conducted an Incident Command System Executive Course for all key company officers and staff, during which AMVI was hailed by the agency as “the first mining company in the province to be pro-active in initiating the most ideal mitigating dynamics in the mining industry.”
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