Gov. Arthur Yap is abolishing the Provincial Emergency Management Administration (PEMA) and is replacing it with the Bohol-Inter Agency Task Force (B-IATF) expanding the membership to include members of the private sector.
The governor made this announcement during a press conference on Friday afternoon (May 29) held at the lobby of the new Capitol building this city.
In that press conference, the governor explained to the media that his move of establishing the B-IATF in place of the PEMA is an offshoot of an advice from the national Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) chief implementor Sec. Carlito Galvez.
Galvez advised Gov. Yap to mirror the protocols and issuances of the IATF for closer and better coordination in the response against the spread of Covid 19.
It was revealed in the press conference that Galvez, suggested to Yap the idea for Bohol to have its own IATF, hence, the B-IATF.
This came after Secretary Galvez, executive officer of the IATF, visited Bohol last week, a visit that made the province a beneficiary of some personal protective equipment (PPEs) and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machine that will be detailed at the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital (GCGMH).
It can be recalled that Galvez was in town last May 23, 2020 to deliver some personal protective equipment (PPEs) and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machine. All of these were duly received by Gov. Yap and witnessed by some hospital officials.
With the establishment of the B-IATF, Alfonso Damalerio II who used to be the lead person of PEMA as its ground commander will now be one of the consultants of the BIATF, the governor said.
The B-IATF is chaired by Yap, with Provincial Administrator Kathyrin Pioquinto as co-chair.
When asked about the distinct feature of the B-IATF as compared to the PEMA, the governor explained that the BIATF is broader in structure than the PEMA as the former is multi-sectoral as it is being composed of representatives from both the public and private sectors of the province especially in the consultation process. This means, then, that the B-IATF is more expansive in scope than the PEMA.
“The PEMA served us well in the early days, and if you ask me, it (PEMA) still continues to serve its purpose because it is smaller and more nimble, but Sec. Galvez asked us that we mirror the national IATF,” the governor said.
In the B-IATF, task groups are formed under the new set up according to the governor. He said that in the new organization, task group (TG) response/logistics is headed by the Provincial Health Office (PHO); TG resources is helmed by the Provincial General Services Office (PGSO); while the provincial Department of the Interior and Local Governments (DILG) will have the local leagues of officials under its task group.
Moreover, the TG for emergency will be led by Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRMMO); the TG for Strat Com is led by the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO); and TG on food security is handled by the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA).
In the B-IATF, the private sector will have a more active role. The religious groups will also have a voice in the new organization. The governor said the B-IATF will also be composed of representatives from the Bohol Bankers Association, Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry, retailers, and tourism operators among others.
RESIGNATION
Even before the establishment of the B-IATF, Damalerio already submitted to the governor his resignation letter as PEMA ground commander which was to take effect yesterday, May 30, 2020.
In Damalerio’s resignation letter dated May 14, 2020, he conveyed to the governor that “I also have private and personal priorities to tend to which greatly need my attention as well. I assure you that I am accessible for your consultation and full support.”
Damalerio, in his resignation letter, listed PEMA’s achievements while he was at the helm of the organization including his accomplishments while he was the PEMA ground commander.
He listed as among the achievements of PEMA the following: formation of the offshore Boholanos coordinating team, the emergency training response arm for health workers that facilitated the return of overseas Filipino workers and locally stranded individuals, with the formation of the emergency response plan, among others.