The Philippine Association of NSTP Implementers and Disaster Risk Managers, Inc. (PANIDRM), in partnership with Tarlac State University, held its general assembly and the oath-taking of its executive officers, board of directors, and coordinators yesterday (June 12, 2022) at the Alumni Center of the Lucinda Campus.
The inducting officer for the oath-taking is TSU President Dr. Arnold E. Velasco, the organization’s national adviser and consultant.
With President Velasco’s role in PANIDRM, the association also signed a memorandum of agreement with TSU as its institutional partner on June 11, 2022 before the oath-taking proper.
Moreover, according to Board of Directors Chairperson Dr. Susana Fernandez, TSU was also chosen as a partner because of its good facilities, equipment, and buildings.
The event, which coincides with the 124th Philippine Independence Day, aims to promote NSTP implementation that integrates disaster risk reduction management (DRRM) for NSTP students across all state universities and colleges (SUCs) and higher education institutions (HEIs) in the country through a national organization that is guided by the revised implementing rules and regulations of the NSTP Act of 2001 (Republic Act No. 9163) and Philippine DRRM Act of 2010 (Republic Act No. 10121).
“[The activity] signifies that we have this liberty and freedom to form a united organization that will eventually enhance this very good program of the government that is Republic Act No. 9163 (NSTP Act of 2001) and Republic Act No. 10121 (PDRRM Act of 2010),” President Velasco said.
The PANIDRM agreed that there should be a standardized format when teaching common and specific NSTP modules. This will be in the form of three copyrighted books to be launched in July or August 2022.
TSU NSTP Director Prof. Louis Adonis Silvestre, one of the members of the newly formed association, said that NSTP coordinators from various regions in the country had joined forces to intensify and promote DRRM implementation in all Philippine SUCs through NSTP.
“Ito (PANIDRM) yung avenue para magkaroon ng brainstorming ng lahat ng mga best practices, issues and concerns ng mga [NSTP] implementers, and then dito aayusin iyong kung paano nga ba dapat ituturo ang NSTP na kaakibat iyong disaster risk management. So parang ang training ng NSTP ngayon is not more on the intellectual aspect but it is more on ‘learning by doing,’” he added.
According to Dr. Fernandez, the PANIDRM was created upon the release of the revised implementing rules and regulations of the NSTP Act of 2001 issued by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the Department of National Defense (DND) in November 2021.
“PANIDRM is dedicated to address issues on NSTP and DRRM laws among SUCs, HEIs, and local government units (LGUs) on how they actively implement two laws (RA No. 9163 and RA No. 10121) relevant to the lives of fellow citizens in the advent of war and catastrophes,” she added.
PANIDRM is the first national NSTP organization initiated by Dr. Susana Fernandez which will soon organize an international conference for NSTP implementers to be hosted by TSU on September 21-23, 2022.
The organization also plans to hold an annual presentation of SUCs’ best practices based on students’ research outputs and extension activities under the community outreach program. NSTP students will share these in a separate conference.
