CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) – The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Region 7, in partnership with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), recently held a four-day Public Service Continuity Plan (PSCP) training for members of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) from in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.
The PSCP is a proactive, risk-based framework that enables government agencies to continue delivering essential public services before, during, and after disasters or disruptions.
Dennis Atto, chief of the OCD-7 Capability Building and Training Section, emphasized the importance of formulating a PSCP in all offices to ensure they are well-prepared to protect lives, sustain government operations, and deliver critical services even in times of crisis.
“The most important thing here is our proactive measures. Dapat naa ta’y buhaton nga proactive measure to reduce the impact para mas dali ta maka cope up,” said Atto.
(We need to have proactive measures in place to reduce the impact, so we can recover more easily.)
He stressed that continuity plays a key role in ensuring that government services remain operational despite any disruption.
“We are highlighting continuity here. Because continuity is a never-ending process especially during disruptions. Kay dili tanan process i-activate nato. I-activate nato are the essentials, importante, or needed,” he explained.
(We are highlighting continuity here. Because continuity is a never-ending process especially during disruptions because not all processes need to be activated—only those that are essential, important, or required.)
Key components
The PSCP includes components such as risk assessment and impact analysis, recovery time objectives (RTOs), alternate work arrangements and sites, clearly defined roles and responsibilities, communication strategies, resource management, and regular training or simulation exercises.
According to Atto, PSCP is essentially the government version of a Business Continuity Plan (BCP), customized to protect vital public services, ensure leadership succession, and maintain public trust during crises.
While both PSCP and BCP aim for operational resilience, the PSCP is uniquely focused on public welfare, mandated service delivery, and institutional governance.
“Your PSCP is anchored on your agency’s vision, mission, and mandate,” Atto added.
He explained that each agency’s PSCP must be tailored based on its unique strengths and functions.
Redefining disasters
Romeo L. Sta. Cruz III of the OCD Capability Building and Training Section corrected a common misconception, stating that the term “natural disaster” is inaccurate.
“There is no such thing as a ‘natural disaster’—the correct term is ‘natural hazard’,” he clarified.
He explained that disasters occur not simply because of natural forces, but due to the interaction between hazards and human vulnerability.
“Kanang term nga disaster is actually misleading kay when you say disaster dili siya preventable, when in fact it is preventable or ma-reduce ang impact through proper planning and risk reduction management,” Sta. Cruz said.
(The term ‘disaster’ is misleading because it implies that it’s unavoidable, when in fact it can be prevented or its impact minimized through planning and risk reduction.)
Natural hazards are naturally occurring physical events—like earthquakes, typhoons, floods, volcanic eruptions, and droughts—that pose risks. These only become disasters when they affect vulnerable populations or systems and result in loss of life, damage, or disruption.
“So katong Yolanda, it was considered a disaster because of the lack of preparation,” he added.
(Yolanda was considered a disaster because of the lack of preparation.)
He also emphasized the need for agencies to identify hazards that may affect their offices—whether natural, human-induced, technological, or biological—as part of the PSCP planning process.
In the Philippines, the PSCP is mandated under Republic Act No. 10121, or the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, and NDRRMC Memorandum No. 33, s. 2018. These policies require all DRRM member agencies—including local government units (LGUs)—to develop and implement their own PSCPs to ensure continued public service delivery amid emergencies.
Participant insights
Leo Pelletero, assistant chief of the Planning and Monitoring Evaluation Division of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and DA-7 DRRM alternate focal, said the training was timely and essential.
“This is a very significant training for us, for our agency, considering that our mandate in DA is to provide sufficient and secure food for the Filipinos and empower our farmers and fisherfolks. So this is very important, considering that any disruptions in the operations can hamper the delivery of our essential functions mandated in our agency,” he said.
He noted that while DA-7 had already started crafting their PSCP, the training helped clarify key components and align their plan with national templates.
“Right now, considering that there are components needed in the plan, there will be changes in the crafting of the plan, and we will align that with the OCD template and improve the draft plan,” he added. (MYP/PIA7 Cebu)
