Written By: Janzen Mari Q. Pang | Photos By: Janzen Mari Q. Pang & Erla Mae E. Egot

Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) IX successfully conducted the Dignity in Disaster: Coaches Training on the Management of the Dead and Missing Persons (MDM) on November 23-28, 2025 at Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte, a capacity-building initiative designed to strengthen local preparedness and ensure that dignity, respect, and systematic protocols are upheld in times of disaster.

This training brought together participants from various provinces and cities across Zamboanga Peninsula to develop a pool of MDM Coaches who will guide and capacitate local responders in handling sensitive and critical operations involving the dead and missing. The activity emphasized the importance of standardized procedures, ethical considerations, inter-agency coordination, and the preservation of human dignity throughout the entire process.

Through comprehensive lectures and coaching, hands-on simulation exercises, and case discussions, participants gained deeper insights into proper body retrieval, documentation, identification, management of missing persons, and the establishment of functional MDM systems at the local level. The initiative shows the region’s commitment to strengthening disaster response mechanisms in alignment with national standards and international humanitarian principles.

The DILG IX extends its appreciation to the facilitators from Bago City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, PNP – Police Regional Office IX, and Department of Social Welfare and Development, whose expertise and dedication made the activity a success.