To equip local responders with the critical skills and knowledge to safely and efficiently rescue individuals, a total of 40 local responders from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, along with barangay volunteers from San Fernando, successfully finished a 4-day Basic Rope Rescue Training on October 21-24, 2025.
Rope rescue is a subset of technical rescue that utilizes ropes, such as steel, nylon, polyester, or other materials, to rescue individuals in challenging environments, including high-angle, vertical, and confined spaces.
During the training, participants underwent different modules, gaining hands-on experience in basic knot tying, donning and doffing of personal protective equipment (PPE), patient packaging technique, anchoring techniques, mechanical advantage/pulley system, basic rappelling, rescue pick off, ascending and descending, low and high angle rescue, and highline rescue, among others.
“Dakulang tabang ini as a responder kasi aram ta man po baga na ang San Fernando highly prone sa baha, may mga areas din kami na nagkakaigwang landslide. So, ining rope rescue training very important matter samuya na manudan ini,” shared Jason Asuero, MDRRMO Head, and one of the participants.
He added, “Dahil digdi, nanudan mi si proper na pag-utilize ning rope, proper na pag-secure ning lines lalo pag baha kaipuhan ta itong inaapod na lifelines, tamang proseso ning paggakod, and tamang pag-handle kang mga gamit po. Continuously nagpe-prepare po kita. Part po kang preparation na ginigibo ta is the continued enhancement kan skills na dapat igwa kita.”
Trained personnel from the Fire Search and Rescue and Search and Rescue Units of CamSur EDMERO served as the instructors and facilitators during the training.
Jose Ferdinand Villareal, Rope Rescue Instructor from Fire SAR, stressed the necessary qualities for a successful training. “Primero, ang kaipuhan po talaga [dapat] physically fit, ikaduwa is mental intelligence na kumbaga madali ninda makua an samuyang tinutukdo, tapos [pantulo] an cooperation po ninda, iyo po talaga an utmost na kaipuhan para makanuod sinda.”
The training involved interactive lecture discussion, group exercise, and a simulation exercise of all the modules discussed.
Another participant was Barangay Captain Julian Cuoros from Grijalvo, San Fernando who actively participated in the training and beyond grateful for the opportunity to learn new skills. “First time ko po maka-attend kaining training, naadalan ko po ang basics sa pag-rescue, dai ko po ini malilingawan, maa-adopt ko po ini sa barangay mi. Nagpursige po akong mag-training ta duman po kaya sa barangay mi, sa compound mi, iyo ang hazard-prone. Ang pag-rescue po bakong suba-suba asin bakong pabirilisan kaya dapat siguraduhon po pirmi ang safety.”
Cuoros also thanked the Provincial Government for continuously supporting and capacitating the local responders of the province through the conduct of various capacity-building trainings. “Thank you po sa satuyang gobernador sa pag-conduct kaining training. Lugod inaasahan mi man po giraray [na magpadagos ini] bako lang ngunyan na presente kundi sige-sige pa po para sa masurunod pang [responders].”
Following the rope rescue training, Fire SAR and SAR Units will conduct a Mountain Search and Rescue (MOSAR) Training on November 11-14, 2025, a specialized operation dedicated to locating, assisting, and recovering people who are lost, trapped, or injured in mountainous terrain— this time specifically for DENR personnel.
