Emergency Preparedness during Off the Lip 2020

Off the Lip 2020 will still push through despite the recent eruption of Taal volcano. The UPOU has a Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee, who closely monitors and adheres to recommendations made by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) with respect to disasters and emergencies. Members of the committee, including the Incident Commander, will be present during Off the Lip, and emergency response protocols will be mobilized in case of a disaster. Please note the site of the conference--Los Baños--is well outside the 14-km danger zone surrounding the Taal volcano.

Nonetheless, we will be taking extra measures to facilitate the safety of the conference participants. We ask you to review carefully details of these measures as presented on this page.

Before the conference

• Keep yourself informed. While we will update you if there are changes in or cancellations to the program due to emergencies or disasters, we suggest you regularly visit the websites and social media accounts of the NDRRMC and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology in order to monitor the advisories they release. If you are a citizen of a country other than the Philippines, your government may provide travel advisories which you may want to keep in mind.
• Pay attention to flight cancellations and airport closures. If you are flying to or within the Philippines, we expect airports to be cleared by the time conference attendees fly unless there are new developments. However, we recommend that you sign up for your airline's SMS or email updates regarding your flights.
• Prepare personal emergency supplies. While the organizers will have emergency supplies on hand during the conference, including N95 dust masks, we recommend that you make personal preparations and bring additional supplies. The NDRRMC website provides tips on how to prepare and protect yourself from emergencies. Note also that UPOU is directly in front of a major supermarket, from which most supplies can be purchased. If you take prescription medication, bring an additional 72 hours' worth of medication with you. If you have a history of asthma or other respiratory illness, we suggest that you bring your own N95 dust mask.
• Consider taking out travel and/or accident insurance. You may wish to consider taking out travel or accident insurance for the duration of the conference.

• Know your emergency contacts. Please save the following numbers in your phone:
  • Off the Lip Safety Warden (Jennifer Pareja): +63.920.415‬‬‬1082‬‬‬
  • Los Baños Action Center: +63.49.5302818
  • Ambulance
    • c/o UP Los Baños Health Service: +63.49.5363247
    • c/o IRRI): +63.49.5362701 extension 2222
  • Philippine National Police (PNP), Los Baños: +63.49.5345631
  • Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Los Baños: +63.49.5347965
  • Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO): +63 49 501 4672 and +63 49 501 2628
• Provide your contact details to the conference organizers. When you arrive in Los Baños for the conference, your contact details (including your cellphone number) will be collected. These details will be passed on to the appointed Safety Warden, who will confirm your safety should there be an emergency. Please provide your contact details to the organizers when asked.
• Keep in regular contact with a buddy. Consider using a buddy system and checking in with someone on a regular basis so that you know each other's whereabouts on a continual basis.
• Keep your cellphone charged. Bring your cellphone charger (cables + power supply) and/or a power bank with you and keep your cellphone charged. In addition, if you are traveling from another country, we suggest you buy a prepaid SIM card and prepaid credits ("load") at the airport. SIM cards are associated with specific mobile phone networks; search online for articles on choosing a mobile network.

Other notes

• In case of power failure, emergency electricity will be provided via an on-site generator.