By Emmanuel Canto

The Philippine Life Saving Society, a non-governmental organization and non-profit that seeks to make communities “drown-proof,” recently wrapped its special swim and survive training where 22 graduates, from all walks of life, finished the course with flying colors. The five-day comprehensive training, led by Henry Aguillon, and included lessons in water rescue, resuscitation, and emergency care, took place at the Carmela Valley clubhouse in Talisay City.
The organization, with its roots as a local community program in the Islas de Gigantes, a part of Carles, Iloilo, is at the forefront of the “Drown-Free Philippines” advocacy and believes in producing and equipping the next generations of lifesavers with the capability to address drowning incidents.
Through its partnership with German medical aid organization Action Medeor, disaster preparedness is prioritized and, today, it is especially pertinent in terms of addressing the effects of climate change.
Disaster preparedness is a family matter and the organization aims to have every family armed with at least one lifesaver—somebody with the necessary technical knowledge when faced with disaster. As a lifesaving organization, it is of immediate concern to teach people how to survive during emergencies and how to respond to natural calamity.
Aside from climate change and disaster preparedness, emergency response mechanisms are also topics being discussed; along with the best practices of other countries, which are (hopefully) adopted by member-nations.
The Philippine Life Saving Society is accredited by several foreign lifesaving organizations, including the World Health Organization./EC, WDJ