For the past few months, ADRA Philippines has not only been repairing houses but also been teaching communities the skills to be resilient and prepared for upcoming disasters.

Through ADRA’s Disaster Risk Reduction program, four barangays in Barotac Viejo, Iloilo conducted a simulation exercise on November 25, 26 and 28.

Each barangay, namely San Lucas, Poblacion, Natividad, and Nueva Sevilla, was given a real-life inject based on the hazards present in their community.

This activity aims to assess the preparedness of the barangay in responding to disaster using the trainings and materials provided by ADRA.

“We are thankful to ADRA because we were given trainings and DRR kits that we can use during a disaster”, Eddie Lumampao, brgy captain of San Lucas, said.

“We were able to know our strengths and weaknesses in terms of preparedness”, Wenin Tupas, Jr, barangay captain of Natividad, added.

Meanwhile, Aurelio Medez, barangay captain of Poblacion said that that they will use the DRR kits provided by ADRA and share it to neighboring barangays in times of a disaster. As a member of Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Council, representatives from PNP and BFP served as observer during the simulation exercise.