30 July 2022, Cagayan de Oro City— It is the third quarter of the year, and the Port Management Office of Misamis Oriental/Cagayan de Oro has shown, yet again, its unceasing commitment to sustainable port operations. The Terminal Management Offices in Balingoan and Camiguin, both under the jurisdiction of PMO MO/C, have conducted simulation exercises in line with the celebration of the National Disaster Resilience Month 2022 on 21 July 2022 and 28 July 2022, respectively.
In collaboration with various responding units such as the PNP-Maritime Unit and the Philippine Coast Guard, TMO Balingoan and TMO Camiguin conducted an unattended baggage simulation exercise at the Port Area. This exercise intends to enhance the port’s preparedness in handling any unattended baggage placed inside the port premises that may contain suspicious items and test out the effectivity of established protocols involving other agencies and law enforcement units related to an unattended baggage incident.
Prior to the conduct of these exercises, several coordination meetings with participating agencies were organized to establish the roles of each unit based on their mandates and resources, and plan the concept, technical requirements, and details of the proposed exercise scenario. After the deliberations the final scenario was decided. It starts with normal port operations—security personnel stationed at their respective areas, performing their daily functions when they notice baggage left unattended at the passenger waiting area and no claims have been made after several announcements. The protocols will then be executed upon receipt of the radio call made to the Port Police.
The exercise was performed by the Port Police personnel with special participation from the Philippine Coast Guard, PNP-Maritime, and Bureau of Fire Protection. It lasted for an hour and was completed with no injury to any person or facility. During the post-evaluation of the activity, the participating units gave recommendations and observations that will further enhance the effectivity of the protocols and ensure a more improved response to emergency situations.-BCAcedera