LGU Naga resumes ‘Driver as First Aider’ training program

By Jason B. Neola

NAGA CITY --- After a year of hiatus, the Naga City government’s “Driver-First Aider” program has resumed.

Some 20 padyak drivers were taught basic life support (BLS) and first aid skills last week as part of the city government’s effort to capacitate all public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers in the city as first aid providers.

Mandated by Ordinance 2018-025, the training program, which the city government has begun to implement as far back as 2018, is being undertaken as refresher training set to be conducted every two years to “make them always ready for immediate assistance on emergency situations.”

Councilor Joselito SA del Rosario, author of the ordinance, said jeepney, trimobile, padyak, and e-trike drivers who have skills on BLS and first aid can be of help to respond to emergency situations that may happen in the streets or on the roads “while responders and medical personnel are on their way” to extend complete medical services.

In a recent interview, Del Rosario said no other local government units (LGUs) in the country has conducted or initiated a similar training for the PUV drivers.

He cited two separate incidents in Barangays Abella and Calauag when the skills of two trained padyak drivers were tested in saving the lives of their passengers – one who suffered a minor heart attack while the other, a hypertension.

Another documented account was the story a barangay tanod in Igualdad who was able to properly apply cardiopulmonary resuscitation (PCR) to patient, who unfortunately died later on in a hospital.

“The good thing here was that the first aid approaches are made to be readily available in our streets or in public places even in our own neighborhood when they are needed,” Del Rosario said.

DRIVER-FIRST AIDER. Some 20 padyak drivers undergo training on basic life support (BLS). The activity is one of the mandates of City Ordinance 2018-025 authored by City Councilor Joselito SA del Rosario, which aims to capacitate public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers as first aid providers. JBN/REY BAYLON/CEPPIO

The trainings are undertaken by the Naga City Community First Responders Program Management Office in close coordination with the Public Safety Office, Trimobile Task Force, Naga City Police Office, City Risk Reduction Management Office, and the City Health Office.

The scope of the BLS and first aid training program, which requires no fee from the trainees, includes: chain of survival, role of the first aider, assessment of a casualty, support and rescue of a casualty, shock and unconsciousness, heart attack, cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, severe bleeding, and burns.

In order to accomplish the desired outcome, the ordinance also mandates PUV drivers to submit themselves for the training. Section 7 of the ordinance said that the application for driver’s ID/Permit by those who failed to attend the training shall not be processed by the Public Safety Office until such time that they complied with the requirement.