September 2, 2025 - UP Mindanao Vice-Chancellor for Administration, Asst. Prof. Leo Manuel B. Estaña, and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region XI Regional Director Ednar G. Dayanghirang discussed opportunities for capability-building and sharing of resources in a meeting hosted by UP Mindanao on Tuesday, September 2, 2025.
Director Dayanghirang introduced the OCD mandate and scope of operations and presented the various OCD training program offerings for persons engaged in disaster risk reduction and mitigation, which could be of interest to the UP Mindanao administration. He also suggested that members of the UP Mindanao Incident Command System (ICS) could be evaluated for training needs that OCD-XI could provide.
In turn, VC Estaña presented the UP Mindanao ICS, which is activated during university-wide emergencies. He outlined its processes and organizational setup, with himself as Incident Commander and supported by personnel from various university units. He welcomed OCD’s proposal for capability assessment and training support, noting that this would further capacitate UP Mindanao in disaster preparedness and response.
Beyond internal systems, VC Estaña also highlighted UP Mindanao’s research and technical resources that could be useful to OCD-XI. Among these are the river and flood hazard maps of the Davao Region produced under geographic mapping projects, as well as disaster communication studies undertaken by university faculty researchers. He likewise underscored UPMin’s membership in the Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, which could be strengthened through closer linkage with OCD-XI.
The meeting concluded with both institutions expressing commitment to deepen collaboration. VC Estaña affirmed UP Mindanao’s openness to assist OCD-XI through its academic expertise, research outputs, and human resource capability, while Director Dayanghirang emphasized OCD’s readiness to provide specialized training and institutional support to the university.