QUEZON CITY, Philippines -- Leadership from the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, is proud to highlight alum Dr. Irvin Miranda, medical officer, currently working in the fight against COVID-19 for the Philippines Department of Health.
Miranda attended CFE-DM’s two-week H.E.L.P. workshop, in 2018, conducted in partnership with the International Committee of the Red Cross and University of Hawaii’s Office of Public Health Study where he participated in discussions and practical exercises with top medical and public health professionals, from the military and civilian sector, to understand the latest trends in preparedness and response to epidemics and health emergencies.
His expertise is being utilized at the national emergency operations center for Philippine’s National Disaster Management Office or National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Camp General Emilio Aguinadlo, Quezon City.
“I act as a liaison between the health department and the other agencies working to protect our people from the scourge of COVID-19,” said Miranda. “I also facilitate requests for assistance of our regional offices throughout the country especially on the logistics side”
Taking the lessons learned from the H.E.L.P. workshop has helped Miranda during this unprecedented global crisis.
“The lockdown or mobility of public transportation in the main island of Luzon has been suspended so getting testing kits and specimens has been a challenge,” said Miranda. “Most of our air support now comes from the military. At the NDMO I was also able to apply the knowledge I learned from the H.E.L.P. workshop on Civil-Military Coordination.”
In addition, Miranda was a part of the technical management group for the repatriation of Filipinos from Wuhan, China and the cruise ship Diamond Princess.
"This health issue has impacted our nation's security and our people's way of life,” said Miranda. “As we are operating in a resource limited setting coming from one disaster to another, bitter lessons are being learned today and everyone has to contribute for us to survive this pandemic."
Learn more about our workshops by visiting our website: https://www.cfe-dmha.org/Training
The workshop is facilitated by CFE-DM humanitarian advisors and professionals from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, RedR Australia, Save the Children USA, and many more.