Q1: Why is there a need for disaster preparedness?
A study, which was conducted jointly with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), analyzed possible earthquake scenarios in Metro Manila, including an intensity 7.2 earthquake generated by the West Valley Fault. Studies show that the West Valley Fault has moved 4 times and generated strong earthquakes within the last 1400 years. The approximate return period of these earthquakes is less than 500 years and no event along the West Valley Fault is known after 17th century, which may mean that the active phases of the Valley Faults is approaching.
In that intensity 7.2 earthquake scenario, around 13% of residential buildings, 10% of public and mid-rise buildings, and 2% of very high-rise buildings can be heavily affected or damaged by the earthquake. This does not include the effect on the network of roads and bridges and the infrastructure that will impact the mobility of people (e.g., the ability of parents to fetch children) and the ability to communicate (i.e., if cell sites are also damaged) in the aftermath of an earthquake.
While earthquakes remain to be unpredictable, and we continue to pray that a major earthquake does not hit Metro Manila in our lifetime, the administration of De La Salle Santiago Zobel School, Inc. (DLSZ) believes that these studies merit serious attention from, and preparations involving, the entire school community. In fact, DLSZ has formulated a disaster preparedness and management plan (the Plan) and is currently fine tuning and setting up the entire community for the implementation of the Plan. The disaster preparedness seminar and workshop (the Seminar) is part of the Plan. The DLSZ administration formulated the Plan and is organizing the Seminar in close consultation and with the support of officers of the DLSZ (De La Salle Santiago Zobel School) Parents Association, Inc. (PA).
Q2: Of course, we care about the safety of our children. In fact, I have read about earthquakes and disaster preparedness in the internet and other sources. What can the speakers tell me that I do not know or cannot read about in the comforts of my home?
Although the Internet should not be relied upon as a sole source of information, there are probably a good number of websites that contain information on earthquakes and provide background information. However, one important focus of the Seminar will be the details of the Plan, such as how the students will be organized, what provisions and resources (e.g., logistics, equipment, supplies) the school will have, how students will be released or reunited with their parents and families, where students will be held if parents and families are unable to reach DLSZ, etc. These details are not available on the Internet.
Q3: Why make it mandatory?
The DLSZ administration believes that the Plan cannot be effectively implemented unless parents and guardians of DLSZ students are thoroughly oriented regarding the details of the Plan. While copies of the Plan can be circulated, common experience indicates that parents and guardians are not likely to read big documents carefully and their thorough understanding of the details of the Plan cannot be left to chance.
In the context of a major earthquake, the Plan covers the activities that will take place following an earthquake, including (i) evacuating students and taking them to a relatively safe location on campus, (ii) reuniting siblings, (iii) giving victims access to first aid and medical treatment, whether onsite or at facilities to which victims may be taken, as necessary, (iv) releasing students to parents and guardians, or to other parties (e.g., relative or co-parents residing in Ayala Alabang Village) with the authority of parents and guardians, where damages to the road network keep parents and guardians from reaching DLSZ, (v) accounting for, and providing for the needs of, students who will remain on campus, and (vi) communicating among the community when cellular sites are affected and mobile phones cease to work—all of which require planning.
In the Plan, every member of the community would have a role to play in case a major earthquake strikes. Lack of information on the part of any member of the community will hinder the success of the Plan. For example, a misinformed parent who would not know where to meet their children after a disaster strikes may require or demand help at a time when school officials and volunteers with limited time and resources have to focus on critical matters. Thus, with the support of the PA, the school administration has deemed it best to require parents and guardians to attend the Seminar.
Q4: I already attended other disaster preparedness seminars in the office and also in our village. What makes the DLSZ disaster preparedness seminar any different?
You may have attended similar seminars in your office or your village and have instructed your children on what to do in case a disaster strikes but the topics to be discussed are concerns unique to DLSZ parents and guardians.
Aside from covering disaster preparedness skills, the Seminar will also cover the following details of the Plan:
(1) Evacuation;
(2) Family reunification and release procedures;
(3) West Valley Fault map reading – see which roads will be cut-off preventing you from reaching your home or DLSZ;
(4) Contingent events (e.g., alternative course of action if Ayala Alabang Village (AAV) would not be accessible after a major earthquake.
Q5: Who are these consultants?
DLSZ has engaged the services of:
(1) Foresight Life Resilience Corporation, a company that provides various services, including disaster reduction management, security, search and rescue training, business continuity planning and other related services (Foresight). Consultants at Foresight are disaster management experts, including a former navy official, and a business continuity planner who have real on the ground experience in planning for contingencies, who have real experience in rescue and relief operations in past major earthquakes and disasters in the country.
(2) As project manager, Mr. Eduardo C. Manarpiis, a freelance security consultant, who is a former army lieutenant, a former security head of a multinational logistics company, and a former prefect of discipline and security head of a major school in Greenhills.
Foresight was engaged to (i) review drafts of DLSZ’s initial disaster plan that was drafted inhouse, (ii) propose revisions to the plan in accordance with industry standards and best practices, and (iii) prepare the school community, including the administration, the PA, students, parents, guardians and external organizations, the preparation of which includes workshops for faculty, staff, parents and guardians. The project manager is involved in fine-tuning the Plan and is overseeing and coordinating the implementation of preparatory measures detailed in the Plan, including the procurement and deployment of supplies and equipment, organizing and training school personnel and volunteers for various roles, and ensuring continuity in the school’s implementation and compliance with the Plan from year to year.
PA officers and volunteers were involved in the process of selecting and engaging these consultants, as the school solicited input from parents. In fact, because of the growing concerns of parents and guardians about the sufficiency of the school’s disaster preparedness measures, the PA fully supported the school’s initiatives and encouraged the engagement of external consultants.
Q6: Why not avail of the services of volunteers?
Many volunteers, including parents and staff, are behind the school’s disaster management program; however, the DLSZ administration, with the support of the PA, has made the determination that disaster preparedness requires the help of professionals who have the relevant expertise and experience and who will focus on the various aspects of disaster preparedness.
Q7: Why does the school have to charge for disaster preparedness? We’ve paid tuition fees and developmental fees. Those fees should cover disaster preparedness.
A primary and secondary school is not likely to have sufficient in-house expertise in, and readily available resources for, disaster preparedness. Thus, DLSZ has engaged the services of experienced professionals in formulating the Plan, in fine tuning and implementing the details of the Plan, and in training and organizing members of the community in accordance with the Plan. DLSZ has also procured and is in the process of procuring supplies and equipment in accordance with the Plan.
While the school charges significant amounts in tuition and development fees, those fees are allocated to various operational and capital requirements of the school, such as salaries, equipment, utilities, services, maintenance of physical resources, etc. Since disaster preparedness for a major earthquake is beyond the school’s regular operations and budget, the school needs financial resources to defray the costs necessary to formulate and implement the Plan. The school has made budgetary adjustments to accommodate some of the costs entailed by these initiatives; however, there are currently no sufficient resources to cover all costs associated with disaster preparedness.
Q8: Why charge P1,100? It’s too much for us.
The P1,100 fee will cover the fees charged by Foresight at cost, i.e., DLSZ and the PA are not marking-up the fees of Foresight. While the school has absorbed certain costs relating to disaster preparedness, the school is unable to absorb the fees payable to Foresight, and possibly other costs, because the amount was not budgeted and must be sourced externally.
In consultation with the PA, the DLSZ administration believes that the amount of P1,100 is reasonable considering the amount of time that Foresight has devoted to reviewing and proposing revisions to the Plan, and preparing for and conducting the Seminar—and considering that the Plan and the Seminar, ultimately, seek to protect the lives and safety of our students.
Q9: Why require four (4) household members to attend? What if our household has only 3 members? Do we get a refund for sending one (1) less household member?
The P1,100 fee was priced based on the number of families that will be required to attend. Each family needs to be represented by parents and guardians and students at least 13 years of age. The maximum number of attendees was set at the maximum number of 4 per family because it will be difficult to manage the seminars if each family will be given a free hand to send a limitless number of attendees to the Seminar.
Q10: Why do the seminars have to be scheduled according to our kids’ year level?
The seminars are scheduled according to grade/year level for the following reasons:
(1) In each session, the speakers will present evacuation plans and other details that are specific to the likely location of each class. The school would be better prepared if parents and guardians understood the evacuation and other related plans in greater detail.
(2) Parents and guardians of students in a particular year level will need to work closely together in case of emergencies. Thus, having them attend seminars together will give them an opportunity to get to know each other better.
Q11: If I cannot attend the scheduled seminar for my child’s year level, what options would I have?
After all the currently scheduled Seminars are conducted, the school will determine how many have not attended and will schedule additional Seminars on an as needed basis. There is no certainty as to when additional seminars will be conducted. Thus, parents and guardians are urged to exert best effort to attend the Seminars scheduled. If not, the inability of parents and guardians needs to be relayed to the school to give the school an early opportunity to reschedule the parents’ and guardians’ Seminar.
Q12: If I have more than one child at DLSZ, which session should I attend?
If you have a choice, you should attend the seminar for your oldest child because the oldest child is likely to be the one who will track down his siblings. Thus, given your eldest child’s role if a major earthquake strikes will be important and that child may need more support from parents and guardians, as the case may be.
Q14: Why are other schools not charging parents?
Each school approaches issues and problems differently. Several schools have engaged Foresight to assist with disaster preparedness matters and charged the parents P1,500. We are aware of a school that partially absorbed the cost of the seminars but only a few parents were required to attend and that school is presumably taking on the responsibility of orienting the parents of the school’s disaster management plan. DLSZ has taken a position that it cannot be responsible for the parents and guardians thoroughly understanding the details of, and being prepared to perform their roles under, the Plan; thus, DLSZ believes that all households must be represented.
Q15: Thank you for the information. Some parents are skeptical because all these have not been explained.
The process for putting in place the school’s disaster preparedness and management program is not simple, as explained above, and takes time to explain.
At the last general assembly of parents and guardians, the PA gave an overview of what the school is doing. Foresight’s senior consultant also spoke at that event. The Seminar was designed and scheduled to give the school an opportunity to orient parents regarding the Plan. Until parents and guardians are able to attend the Seminar, there will be unanswered questions.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email adcomm@dlszobel.edu.ph or call the Advancement and Communications Office at 7713579 loc. 748. You may also contact your PA level rep who will be glad to answer questions.