Disaster-ready drills for waterway communities

Like any other endeavor, practice makes perfect whenever a disaster strikes.

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas has directed all local government units to conduct disaster preparedness drills in communities located along waterways and other areas considered danger zones.

At forefront

At a multiagency meeting in Camp Crame on Monday, Roxas said local officials should be at the forefront of the government’s campaign for “zero-casualty” during the rainy season.

The government official said disaster risk reduction and management councils of every city and municipality in the country should develop their own disaster contingency plans.

Evacuation signs

“The people should be familiar with the sound of bullhorns, whistles and other warning devices in case they need to be evacuated,” Roxas told reporters.

“They should also know what to do and where to go in time of disasters. The public must understand the danger they are facing during typhoons, floods and other natural disasters,” he said.

High-risk areas

Local officials should designate leaders in areas and communities located in “high-risk areas” to ensure easier coordination with the residents, the interior secretary added.

According to Roxas, the government has started relocating some of the 60,000 families living along the banks of creeks, sewers and rivers.

Flood drills
He said flood drills would be conducted in high-risk communities lying along six major waterways in Metro Manila, which are considered the most vulnerable during the rainy season.

Waterways

These are Pasig River; San Juan River, one of the major tributaries of Pasig River; Tripa de Gallina, a narrow waterway in the triboundary in the cities of Pasay, Parañaque and Manila; the 15-kilometer Tullahan River in Malabon and Valenzuela cities; Manggahan Floodway in Pasig City; and Maricaban Creek in Pasay City.

Helping hand

About 15,773 families live along these waterways, Roxas said.

“While we cannot prevent typhoons from wreaking havoc, what we can avoid is negligence, lack of preparation and lack of concern. We have to help each other,” he said.

Relocation

The interior secretary said the government had been offering off-site and on-site relocation centers for the affected residents of these areas.

“We are expecting the completion of this plan within the next two years,” Roxas said.

Drills

He said this year’s observance of “Disaster Preparedness Week” should not end with “speeches and the drafting of plans, but actual drills to help us realize our goal of a ’victimless’ typhoon season.”