OTON, Iloilo — Western Visayas conducted its first full-scale, multi-sector disaster simulation on September 9, 2026, exposing coordination gaps that authorities will now address. The exercise staged a multi-vehicle crash involving a chemical tanker along the Circumferential and Bypass Roads in Barangay Pakiad.
A Groundbreaking Regional Exercise
The two-day PROJECT MedX: Western Visayas Emergency Medical Simulation Exercise was spearheaded by the Asia Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management Philippines. It was organized in partnership with the Iloilo Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, UP Resilience Institute, UP Manila DRRM-Health, and the Municipality of Oton.
More than 30 government, private, healthcare, humanitarian, and academic institutions participated. A-PAD PH executive director Athena Peñaloza said this was the first time disaster-response institutions across Western Visayas were tested together under a unified, real-time operation of such magnitude. The exercise aimed to bridge institutional boundaries that could hamper emergency operations.
Simulating a Complex Emergency
The scenario centered on a head-on collision involving a commercial chemical tanker and several passenger vehicles. This created a mock disaster zone combining traumatic injuries with hazardous-material exposure. The staging area and medical triage center were established at Oton National High School.
Responders were tested on the Incident Command System to determine whether municipal disaster teams, provincial health personnel, military units, and hospitals could operate under unified command. The exercise also tested hazardous-material containment, including chemical risk assessment, isolation of the danger zone, decontamination, and communication of chemical hazards to hospitals. Emergency teams performed mass-casualty triage, vehicular extrication, and field stabilization under intense time pressure.
Identifying Gaps and Strengths
Peñaloza emphasized that the exercise was designed to identify weaknesses before a real catastrophe strikes. She noted that coordination between health offices and private hospitals, response times, and the capacity of neighboring municipalities to reinforce Oton require closer evaluation. Patient transportation was distributed across public and private hospitals to test medical surge capacity.
Office of Civil Defense Region 6 director Raul Fernandez pushed for tighter medical supervision during patient transfers. He said medical personnel should accompany casualties from incident sites to hospitals to avoid complications during transportation. Standardized procedures could prevent secondary injuries and ensure receiving hospitals are prepared before patients arrive.
Building a More Resilient Region
Mayor Sofronio L. Fusin Jr. said Oton's participation reflects the local government's commitment to building a prepared and resilient municipality. He emphasized the importance of collaboration with provincial and national agencies, academic institutions, and private stakeholders in protecting lives and communities.
Participating agencies will analyze response times, communication systems, and cross-jurisdictional coordination observed during the exercise. Findings are expected to refine standard operating procedures and regional disaster-response protocols. For A-PAD PH, the ultimate test will be whether the weaknesses uncovered are corrected before Western Visayas faces a real emergency.
