BAGUIO CITY — The Baguio City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) is strengthening disaster preparedness among the city’s youth by launching programs aimed at improving the mental and emotional readiness of students during earthquakes and other emergencies.

The initiative follows the magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck on 9 June, when 113 high school students from various campuses required medical attention after suffering panic attacks and hyperventilation. DRRMO head Charles Bryan Carame said fear spread rapidly among students, triggering a chain reaction of distress.

While Baguio continues to hold quarterly earthquake drills to reinforce physical preparedness, Carame stressed that schools must also strengthen their systems to help students cope with the psychological impact of disasters.

As part of the effort, the DRRMO will launch a Youth Resilience Boot Camp in August, where participants will undergo disaster preparedness training, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and other emergency response skills.

The office has also lined up several activities this month to boost community preparedness and enhance the capabilities of emergency responders. A public roadshow and equipment display will be held on 25 July, while crash vehicle extrication training with the Bureau of Fire Protection and advanced geographic information systems training with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation are scheduled from 20 to 24 July.

The month-long resilience campaign will culminate on 30 July with an awards ceremony recognizing educational video entries and outstanding volunteers.

City officials are likewise studying the implementation of unannounced earthquake drills to better assess schools’ and communities’ real-time emergency response and improve overall disaster preparedness.