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Davao City, dubbed the “crown jewel” of the Philippines’ southernmost island group Mindanao, is a rapidly urbanizing city that has grown leaps and bounds in the last few decades.
While its residents enjoy the fruits of this unprecedented growth, it has come with downsides. The loss of urban wetlands to accommodate buildings and infrastructure has made flooding a problem.
Another problem endemic to the city are the frequent earthquakes. Davao City is home to a number of faultlines, and its residents experience multiple earthquakes in a year.
Together, these conditions heighten residents’ susceptibility to disasters, and necessitate emergency preparedness. Spurred by these problems, Ayala Malls Abreeza envisioned a project, Junior Safety Squad (JSS), that would instill emergency preparedness and basic safety knowledge to the most vulnerable group in the city’s population: children.
To help execute the project, Abreeza partnered with the Bureau of Fire Protection Region XI Davao City, whose functions include responding not just to fires but also other types of disasters and emergencies. JSS is an emergency readiness and basic safety program for children aged six to 12 that would cover earthquake, flood, and fire safety and basic life support, using sets and simulations to facilitate instruction.
The event took place from April 13 to 14, 2024. Admission to the event was free. Drills and activities happened simultaneously, with each station accommodating five kids at a time.
The first station was the Zipline Station, a fun prelude that boosted the participants’ confidence for the stations to come.
Next was the Basic Life Support Station. Children were each assigned a manikin and taught how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
At the Flood Station, children learned how to prepare their go bags. They then watched news footage of a flood alert on TV, which was their cue to pack their go bags with emergency essentials.
The Earthquake Station was a playroom where an earthquake was simulated through shaking walls and falling debris. Here, kids performed the “duck, cover, hold” routine and evacuated once the shaking had stopped.
The final station was the Fire Drill Station, a maze-like structure the kids had to find their way out of. They were taught to evacuate upon hearing the fire alarm, follow fire exit signs, and crawl to avoid smoke inhalation. They were led to the mall’s nearest fire exit to demonstrate where they should go in case of an actual fire in a public place.
Over 700 children took part in JSS. The mall’s foot traffic increased significantly as families flocked to get their kids involved, averaging 55,126 (a 9% increase compared to the previous weekend).
On social media, feedback was overwhelmingly positive garnering 63,453 impressions and 7,161 engagements. Parents lauded the organizers for carrying out an enjoyable, educational, and well-organized event. Some commenters requested for a second run, while others suggested making it a nationwide campaign. Numerous media outfits published articles related to the event, indicating favorable reception.
With JSS, Abreeza achieved its goal of instilling emergency preparedness and basic safety skills and smarts in children. If their bright smiles are any indication, Abreeza did so while making learning fun and memorable, too.
Nomination Title: Ayala Malls Abreeza's Junior Safety Squad
