PRO-NIR deploys rescue units ahead of rainy season

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — The Police Regional Office–Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) assured the public that it is fully prepared to ensure safety and security during the rainy season.

Police Brig. Gen. Arnold Thomas Ibay, PRO-NIR director, directed all provincial, city, and municipal police units across Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor, to be ready for deployment and ensure that rescue equipment, mobility assets, and communication systems are fully functional.

The regional office has a total of 47 search and rescue (SAR)-trained teams composed of 398 personnel.

Of these, 31 teams are assigned to the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo), nine to the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (Norppo), one to the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), four to the Siquijor Police Provincial Office (SPPO), and two to the Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB)-NIR.

Ibay reported that 150 patrol cars, 114 motorcycles, three mantrucks, and one shuttle bus are ready for deployment in case of emergencies.

If needed, he added that rubber boats can also be mobilized through coordination with the Maritime Group, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), local government units (LGUs), and other agencies.

PRO-NIR also has approximately 400 handheld radios, the same equipment used for its five-minute response time (5MRT) program, allowing real-time coordination during calamities and law enforcement operations.

A total of 321 evacuation centers are strategically placed across the region — 30 in BCPO, 33 in Nocppo, 124 in Norppo, and 134 in SPPO — to provide safe shelter and organized evacuation when necessary.

Ibay said contingency measures are in place for flood-prone and landslide-vulnerable areas to guarantee quick response and assistance.

Twenty-one out of 31 LGUs in Negros Occidental were recently severely affected by a typhoon, impacting more than 180 barangays and over 35,000 families, with extensive damage to agriculture, infrastructure, and local economies, prompting the provincial government to declare a state of calamity last month.

Recognizing the risks posed by heavy rains, flooding, and landslides, Ibay urged the public to cooperate with authorities by heeding warnings, reporting emergencies through 911 or local hotlines, and practicing safety measures.

“We call on the public to work hand-in-hand with authorities so we can collectively reduce the risks posed by severe weather,” Ibay said.

He added that PRO-NIR maintains close interagency coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), PCG, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), LGUs, and the provinces’ respective Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices (DRRMOs) to ensure a whole-of-government approach in managing both calamities and human-induced emergencies, guaranteeing swift and effective action.