NATION
CALABARZON Disaster Council readies ASEAN Summit support
Regional agencies and local governments place emergency response personnel and resources on standby to assist Metro Manila during the 49th ASEAN Summit.
The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) CALABARZON has placed emergency preparedness and response resources on standby to support Metro Manila during the Philippines' hosting of the 49th ASEAN Summit.
The regional council conducted a coordination meeting via Zoom on Thursday, 12 November 2026, to discuss contingency plans, standby resources and possible deployment of additional emergency response teams should major incidents arise during the international gathering.
RDRRMC CALABARZON Chairperson and Office of Civil Defense Regional Director Carlos Eduardo E. Alvarez III directed regional government agencies and local government units to ensure that their emergency personnel, equipment and other response resources are fully accounted for and ready for immediate deployment if augmentation is requested by the National Capital Region.
Although the summit's main activities will be held in Metro Manila, CALABARZON serves as a strategic neighboring region capable of providing additional emergency response support.
Alvarez also emphasized the need to prepare for possible cultural visits, side events and official tours involving ASEAN delegates and foreign dignitaries within CALABARZON.
“We must guarantee their absolute safety and security. In doing so, we must maintain a careful balance—protecting our visiting international guests while ensuring that our core mandate to safeguard our own local communities remains uncompromised and that every locality maintains its operational readiness,” Alvarez said.
The council's Emergency Operations Center will maintain Blue Alert Status from 13 to 19 November 2026 to strengthen monitoring and coordination among regional line agencies and local government units.
During the meeting, participating agencies discussed operational arrangements, resource mapping and deployment protocols to ensure an organized response should Metro Manila require additional emergency assistance.
The Police Regional Office CALABARZON also presented its Reactionary Standby Support Force, consisting of 310 personnel, including 23 police commissioned officers and 287 police non-commissioned officers.
Based on the presentation, the regional headquarters committed 150 personnel, while the police provincial offices of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon each identified 32 personnel for standby support.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development also reported that 303 Quick Response Team personnel were on standby and ready for deployment.
The agency's presentation identified response capabilities covering camp coordination and management, psychological first aid, incident command, rapid damage assessment and needs analysis, humanitarian supply chain management, and women- and child-friendly space management.
Representatives from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology also participated in the coordination meeting, presenting weather and volcanic monitoring information relevant to emergency preparedness.
Member agencies and local disaster risk reduction and management offices committed to submitting official inventories of their available standby resources following the meeting.
The regional council stressed that the preparations are intended to provide additional response capabilities for the ASEAN Summit without compromising the safety and disaster preparedness of communities within CALABARZON.
The council reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining operational readiness across Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon while supporting the safe and orderly conduct of the international gathering.