VSMMC - Health Emergency and Disaster Management Unit - HEDMU

25/08/2026

🏆 100% 𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐄! 𝐕𝐒𝐌𝐌𝐂 𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐒 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐈𝐍 2026 𝐃𝐑𝐑𝐌-𝐇 𝐓𝐀𝐕𝐌𝐄 🏥🚨

VSMMC proudly achieved a perfect score of 100 points (100%) during the 2026 Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in Health (DRRM-H) Technical Assistance Visit, Monitoring and Evaluation (TAVME) conducted by the Department of Health – Regional Health Emergency Management Services 7 (DOH-RHEMS 7) on August 17, 2026.

This achievement reflects more than compliance—it demonstrates VSMMC’s sustained commitment to preparedness, resilience, and timely emergency response. It is a reflection of the collective efforts of every individual and team working behind the scenes to ensure that the Medical Center is ready to respond when emergencies and disasters strike.

Because being ready is more than a standard—it is a commitment to protect lives, serve communities, and be there when it matters most. 💙

Kay Dinhi Sa Sotto, Kalidad Nga Serbisyo, Among Garbo!

21/08/2026

🏆 HEDMU BAGS 3 AWARDS AT THE 𝐕𝐒𝐌𝐌𝐂 𝐏𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔! 🏆

The Program on Awards and Incentives for Service Excellence (PRAISE) is an annual awarding ceremony recognizing the dedication, innovation, integrity, and excellence of VSMMC employees and offices whose meaningful contributions continue to strengthen quality public service and compassionate healthcare.

This year, The Health Emergency and Disaster Management Unit proudly received the following Awards:

🏆 MCC’s Choice Award: HEDMU – Recognizing the unit’s achievements, innovation and external recognitions in sustaining hospital resiliency, swift emergency preparedness deployments and for being a key a partner toward the achievement of the institution’s Health Agenda.

🏆 MCC’s Choice Award: Bogo City Earthquake Response Team – Recognizing the institution’s rapid response as the First Hospital Response team to reach ground-zero, deploying complete & self-reliant Logistics and Manpower within few hours, providing immediate medical needs of the affected Health Facility and injured patients referred from the surrounding LGUs/communities.

🏆 MCC’s Choice Award: Mental Health and Psychosocial Support – In partnership with the Center for Behavioral Science, VSMMC was able to deploy Doctors, Nurses and trained personnel to provide MHPSS services to Northern Cebu LGUs in 2025 and in General Santos Earthquake response in July 2026.

This recognition is not ours alone 🙌

The Health Emergency and Disaster Management Unit extends its heartfelt appreciation to all our staff, colleagues, internal and external partners and other stakeholders who worked and collaborated alongside with us in delivering services, not only to our institution but also to the external communities in times of greatest need.

HEDMU dedicates this recognition to all of you. More than awards, this recognition will serve as our driving force to continuously provide quality, efficient and proactive DRRM-H programs and services. This will truly inspire us to remain committed and persevere in sustaining these milestones as we work together making VSMMC resilient as ever.

Kay Dinhi Sa Sotto, Kalidad Nga Serbisyo, Among Garbo!

17/08/2026

✅ Batch 2 — Continuing the Mission

We are proud to announce the successful completion of Batch 2 of the CBRN Mass Casualty Medical Response Operations Training Course, held from August 10–15, 2026 at Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

Building on the success of the previous training, this batch once again brought together dedicated first responders, healthcare professionals, and emergency management personnel to strengthen their capability in responding to Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) incidents.

Through hands-on exercises, scenario-based simulations, decontamination operations, triage procedures, casualty management, and coordinated emergency response, participants further developed the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to respond effectively to complex mass casualty events.

👏 Congratulations to Batch 2! Your commitment, teamwork, and professionalism reflect our shared mission of protecting lives and strengthening emergency preparedness.

Our sincere appreciation to all instructors, facilitators, partner agencies, and support teams who contributed to another successful and meaningful training.

Two batches. One mission. Preparedness. Safer communities.

-H &Antidotes

16/08/2026

The Health Emergency and Disaster Management Unit (HEDMU) proudly supports VSMMC’s commitment to environmental sustainability and community involvement through the Reforestation Activity in Manipis, Talisay City, Cebu. 🌳💚

As part of our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of our employees, HEDMU provided an Emergency Medical Team (EMT) throughout the tree-planting activity. Their presence ensured that immediate medical assistance and emergency response were readily available while our employees took part in this meaningful environmental initiative.

Beyond responding to emergencies within the hospital, HEDMU believes in bringing the culture of preparedness, safety, and care wherever our people serve. By supporting activities like this, we help create a safe environment for our employees while contributing to a greener, healthier, and more resilient community.

We care for our people. We prepare for emergencies. We protect life—and the environment that sustains it. 🌿🚑💚

Kay Dinhi Sa Sotto, Kalidad Nga Serbisyo, Among Garbo!

27/06/2026

20/06/2026

🎉 CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR HEDMU REPRESENTATIVES! 🎉

The Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center – Hospital Emergency & Disaster Management Unit (VSMMC-HEDMU) proudly congratulates Mr. Clinton Gairanod and Ms. Stella Marie Tandoc for successfully completing the Capacity Enhancement on Caring for Carers for Deployed Health Emergency Response Teams (HERTs) and Health Emergency Response Operations Training of Facilitators held on June 8–12, 2026 at Sarrosa International Hotel & Residential Suites, Cebu City.

The training, organized by the Department of Health Center for Health Development Region VII (DOH CHD VII), aimed to strengthen the psychosocial support, resilience, and operational facilitation skills of Health Emergency Response Team members and trainers. The program emphasized the importance of caring for healthcare responders who continuously serve communities during emergencies, disasters, and public health crises.

Through their participation, Mr. Gairanod and Ms. Tandoc have further enhanced their competencies in health emergency preparedness, responder well-being, and training facilitation—contributing to the continued development of a resilient, capable, and people-centered emergency response workforce.

VSMMC-HEDMU remains committed to strengthening the knowledge, skills, and readiness of its personnel to ensure an organized, effective, and compassionate response during emergencies and disasters.

We commend our participants for their dedication to professional growth and their unwavering commitment to public service.

19/06/2026

𝗕𝗔𝗦𝗜𝗖 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗧𝗛 𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗬 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗘 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 (𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗢) 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

The VSMMC Health Emergency & Disaster Management Unit (HEDMU) and the Health Emergency Response Team members proudly participated in the recently concluded Basic Health Emergency Response Operations (HERO) Training conducted by the Department of Health Center for Health Development (DOH Region VII - CHD) Team from June 2–5, 2026 at Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, Cebu City.

This four-day training strengthened the knowledge, skills, and competencies of healthcare personnel in disaster preparedness, emergency response operations, incident management, and coordinated health emergency interventions. Through lectures, workshops, and practical exercises, participants enhanced their capability to effectively respond to various emergencies and disasters that may impact communities and healthcare facilities.

The HERO Training highlights the commitment of VSMMC in maintaining a highly prepared and resilient medical workforce, capable of delivering timely, organized, and effective health emergency response services. It also reinforces the vital role of Health Emergency and Response Management (HERM) in ensuring seamless coordination, resource mobilization, and lifesaving interventions during critical incidents.

As emergencies and disasters continue to pose significant challenges, VSMMC remains steadfast in its mission to protect lives, strengthen disaster resilience, and provide quality healthcare services through continuous capacity-building and preparedness initiatives.

Together, we build a safer, more prepared, and more resilient healthcare system for every Filipino.

18/06/2026

𝟐𝐍𝐃 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔: 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬!

VSMMC Health Emergency and Disaster Management Unit successfully led the 2nd Quarter Simultaneous Fire and Earthquake Drill for 2026. Our dedicated Sottonians actively participated, showcasing their readiness and commitment to safety.

From swift evacuations to proper fire response techniques, every step was taken to ensure we are equipped to handle emergencies with confidence.

Kudos to everyone who took part in making this drill a success!

Kay Dinhi Sa Sotto, Kalidad Nga Serbisyo, Among Garbo!

02/05/2026

Happy Birthday to our Unit Head Dr. Gerard Christopher G. Aquino, MPH-HA

Enjoy this Special Day and All the Best to you Doc! 🫡

Greetings from,
Your VSMMC HEDMU Family

30/04/2026

Congratulations to our dedicated Nursing Attendants and Transport Team on the successful completion of the Patient Safety Transport Training held on April 23–24, 2026.

This training marks another important milestone in our continued commitment to delivering safe, efficient, and patient-centered care. Through this program, our participants enhanced their competencies in proper patient handling, safe transport protocols, risk identification, and emergency responsiveness—ensuring that every patient transfer is conducted with the highest standards of safety and professionalism.

We commend all participants for their active engagement, discipline, and dedication throughout the training. Your commitment plays a vital role in strengthening our hospital’s culture of safety and excellence.

Together, we move forward in providing safer care for every patient, every time.