Parents like me would always wonder just how safe our children are when they are in school. We are not only referring to the daily risks every student has to face in the school campus but to something more such as natural calamities. Are they instructed on what to do when disaster does strike? Are they equipped enough to be able to wait before actual help comes?

I am very happy to say that the school where my children go to have taken steps in coordination with the PTC to ensure that students will have a fighting chance for survival through the GO BAG. After all, education is not all about academics but also students learning on how to take care of themselves.

go bag1

Disaster Preparedness

There is no ifs and buts about the need for Disaster Preparedness. The Philippines is the 2nd most disaster-prone country out of 171 countries in the world. If Filipinos will not proactively do anything to reduce the expected damage and loss of life for every disaster, then we will just stand helpless against the wrath of nature.

It is a good thing that many organizations and institutions like schools are doing something about this reality. What can be more scary to any parent than to imagine his children unprotected and more scared trapped somewhere without anything that will help in finding them faster? Not being able to come to one’s child in need of rescue is every parent’s nightmare.

go bag

GO Bag

The provision of an Emergency Kit or GO Bag to every student is the simplest but most sensible way of addressing disaster preparedness at school. The GO Bag has been designed like a backpack for easy carrying as it leaves the hands free for anything else that needs to be done. It is padded so children can use it for protection against falling debris. The bags are placed at the back of each chair for easy access during emergencies.

Each bag contains:

*laminated copy of emergency plan/guide and hotline numbers as provided by the school

*metal whistle

*first aid kit in a ziploc bag

*kinetic flashlight

*glowstick

*waterproof body warmer

*350 ml. mineral water

*big bright-colored bandana/hankerchief

*power bar/protein bar

The GO Bag is intended to be lightweight thus the need to limit the contents to the essentials.

CDBS GO BAG

My Say

I would like to commend the PTC for coming up with the CDBS GO Bag. This was actually planned by the previous set of officers and was carried out for this school year. It shows the willingness to be part of the solution for the many problems besetting our country.