Canada’s DART trains Philippine officials in disaster response

On Sunday night, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) announced that Canada’s Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) provided a five-day training session to enhance the Philippines' disaster response capabilities.

The training covered specialized techniques including collapsed structure search and rescue, water search and rescue, high-angle rescue, forest fire rescue, medical emergency management, and rapid deployment tactics.

Canadian Ambassador David Hartman attended the first day of the training alongside OCD Administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno and other officials. The initiative aims to align the Philippines with international standards under INSARAG.

During the training, Canadian DART shared insights from wildfire deployments in California and expressed readiness to assist in future forest fire incidents like those in Carasi, Ilocos Norte.

The OCD RDT highlighted its effective water filtration systems, which have proven essential during typhoon evacuations. A second phase of training is planned for April in Canada.