Governor wants review of policies, infrastructure in Pampanga
MANILA, Philippines—Pampanga Governor Lilia “Baby” Pineda on Wednesday stressed the need for her office to assess their policies for disaster preparedness, saying they were not applicable now due to intensification of the effects of climate change.
“Yung disaster-preparedness policies kailangan malawakan. Yung mga policies three years ago, hindi na nag-a-apply ngayon (Disaster preparedness policies should be widened. Those policies were applicable three years ago, not now),” Pineda said in an interview with Radyo Inquirer 990 AM’s anchors Susan K and Den Macaranas.
Pineda said they needed to review the policies and enhance their strategies since even without storm signals raised, heavy rains from the southwest monsoon caused massive floods.
Areas in Pampanga were heavily affected Tuesday after heavy rains flooded Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
She said that one of the plans they were studying was the setting up of a watch voice or watch patrol to warn the Pampanga barangays and towns about the amount of rainfall due to bad weather.
She said public infrastructures should also be carefully designed to cope with the intensification of climate change effects.
“Kailangan pagtibayin yung mga dikes, kalsada, at drainage systems para magkaroon man ng pagtaas ng tubig ay mapoproteksyunan pa rin siyang mabuti (We need to strengthen dikes, roads, drainage systems so even if water level rises up, they can still be protected),” she said.
She also called on her constituents to help in the process by not throwing their garbage into the drainage systems.
Pineda added that she called for an emergency meeting with her barangay officials for the assessment and conduct of relief operations in the area.
