The DILG National Capital Region, together with the DILG Pasig Field Office, officially commenced this year’s rollout of the Barangay Resilience Advocates Volunteer Group – Advanced Knowledge and Operations or BRAVE AKO Training Program on July 29, 2025, with the City of Pasig as the first participating local government unit in its second run.

Present were members of Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committees (BDRRMCs) from 20 barangays, along with representatives from civil society organizations and private entities actively engaging with the said communities.

DILG Pasig Field Office City Director Visitacion C. Martinez, CESO V welcomed the participants, urging them to maximize the training and echo the learnings in their communities to ensure earthquake preparedness at the local level.

Setting the direction of the training, DILG-NCR Local Government Capability Development Division (LGCDD) Acting Chief Luigi D.C. Pilarta emphasized the need not only to understand disaster risks, but to actively prepare through informed disaster response planning, capacity development, and community education—beginning with their own families.

The training commenced with a discussion on Module 102: Integrated Barangay Development and DRRM Planning facilitated by LGCDD Assistant Chief Maria Jasmin D. Diaz and DILG Pasig Field Office Cluster Head Marianne B. Anceno. Participants also engaged in a series of workshops led by Capacity Development and Technical Assistance Section Chief Rhona Grace D. Perola of LGCDD, which included hazard mapping, risk analysis, and identification of risk-informed programs, projects, and activities.

In 2023, DILG-NCR formally launched the BRAVE AKO Training Program as part of the Department’s initiatives under the BDRRM Training for Community Earthquake Preparedness. The program successfully capacitated 52 barangays across the Cities of Marikina, Muntinlupa, Pasig, Taguig, and Quezon City to enhance their readiness, response, and mitigation efforts in light of the anticipated 7.2 magnitude earthquake, commonly referred to as “The Big One.” 

In the City of Pasig, the inaugural rollout covered only two (2) barangays directly transected by the West Valley Fault System. This year, the program has been expanded to cover 20 barangays within the one-kilometer buffer hazard zone, further strengthening efforts to build community resilience in high-risk areas.