Manila, March 9 -- he Office of Civil Defense (OCD) emphasized the importance of strengthening civilian volunteerism to enhance the disaster and emergency response capabilities.

Speaking at the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) workshop on Whole-of-Society Resilience Building, Preparation, and Response held in Taipei, Taiwan March 4 to 6, OCD chief Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno highlighted the critical role that civilian participation could play in enhancing the country's disaster resilience.

"The main lesson from this workshop is the necessity of developing a robust civilian volunteer component, which acts as a vital force multiplier for our armed forces," Nepomuceno said.

He cited successful models from Taiwan, Swed...