In times of crisis, being prepared can mean the difference between life and loss. For 42 faculty, staff, students, and members of the Quick Response Team at Northwest Samar State University – San Jorge Campus, this commitment to preparedness took center stage as they completed a three-day Standard First Aid Training from June 23 to 25, 2025.
Spearheaded by Mr. Romel E. Matchubar, School DRRM Office Head, and Ms. Mona Suzanne C. Jamin, Campus Nurse, the training was conducted in partnership with the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) of San Jorge. The sessions aimed to improve the university’s emergency response by teaching participants important life-saving skills.
𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝟏: 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐈𝐃
The training opened with core lessons on first aid and common emergencies. Participants learned to identify and manage conditions such as allergic reactions, animal bites, breathing difficulties, heart attacks, heat-related problems, and other environmental injuries. These introductory topics laid the foundation for more technical instruction in the following days.
Resource persons for Day 1 included Ms. Mona Suzzane Jamin, Campus Nurse; Mr. Jerome Paldez, MDRRM Officer; and Mr. Jester Paul Adesas, Nurse from the San Jorge Rural Health Unit.
𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝟐: 𝐒𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐒 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
On the second day, the focus shifted to wound care and physical trauma response. Mr. Jerome Paldez led the discussion on types of open and closed wounds, explained immediate first aid interventions for each, and demonstrated splinting techniques for immobilizing injuries before transport. Mr. Christian Diocton, Admin and Training Coordinator of the MDRRMO, facilitated an in-depth discussion on types of bandaging and their proper applications.
Trainees spent the day in hands-on exercises, building muscle memory and confidence through repetition and practice.
𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝟑: 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐔𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
The third and final day allowed participants to demonstrate everything they had learned. In the morning, trainees performed return demonstrations of core first aid skills, including bleeding control, splinting, bandaging, and patient transport.
In the afternoon, a full-scale simulation was conducted at Blanca Aurora Integrated School (BAIS). In collaboration with the PDRRMO, MDRRMO, San Jorge RHU Nurses, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), NwSSU-SJC Quick Response Team, and BAIS faculty and staff, the participants carried out a rescue operation; retrieving, assessing, and treating simulated victims in a post-earthquake scenario.
Throughout the training sessions, a team of professionals and responders, including Mr. Jerome Paldez, Mr. Christian Diocton, Ms. Mona Suzzane Jamin, and Mr. Jester Paul Adesas, delivered the instruction. Their collective expertise ensured that the participants received practical, relevant, and high-impact instruction.
The program concluded with the awarding of certificates and the formal declaration of 42 completers—individuals now trained to act, assist, and save. With their skills sharpened and resolve strengthened, NwSSU-SJC’s lay rescuers are now a vital part of the university’s growing disaster response capacity.
