BAGUIO CITY — Considering their physical fitness and mental discipline, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong sees athletes as valuable resources for the community during critical emergencies.

The mayor is proposing that they be trained in disaster response.

Magalong directed City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer (CDRRMO) Charles Bryan Carame to integrate the training into the city’s broader capacity-building program. He said the initiative aims to utilize the natural physical capabilities and focus of athletes while simultaneously expanding the city's overall roster of trained individuals ready to assist when disasters strike.

Magalong consulted with Baguio City Fire Marshal F/Supt. Mark Anthony Dangatan to design a specialized training module tailored specifically for athletes. The mayor emphasized the importance of equipping them with fundamental knowledge, practical skills, emergency assistance techniques and other appropriate interventions needed during crises.

Carame confirmed that the CDRRMO will collaborate closely with the Baguio City Fire Station to organize and launch the training sessions as soon as possible.

According to data from the City Sports Division under the City Administrator's Office, Baguio currently has more than 1,000 registered athletes aged 12 and above, representing a substantial pool of potential participants for the upcoming disaster response program.