MMDA: Quake plan also effective vs floods

MANILA, Philippines–The implementation of a contingency plan originally intended for a magnitude-7 earthquake helped speed up the deployment of response teams after Friday’s heavy rains left most parts of Metro Manila flooded, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

During the agency’s weekly radio program on Sunday, MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino said that “Oplan Metro Yakal” proved to be very effective in speeding up rescue operations.

The plan drafted by Tolentino and released in 2011 called for the activation during a major earthquake of a 6,000-strong volunteer force called Task Force Rainbow. Its members were tasked with carrying out disaster response measures in close coordination with about 1,000 volunteers from local government units and civic organizations.

On Friday, Tolentino called for an emergency meeting at the agency’s headquarters around 10 a.m. followed by the deployment of four core groups to the north, south, east and west of Metro Manila, especially in flooded areas like Marikina, Quezon City, Pasay, San Juan, Pasig and Manila.

Tolentino added that these teams were not only composed of MMDA rescue personnel but also included men from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the National Capital Region Police Office who used rubber boats, life vests and six-wheel trucks to evacuate stranded residents.

Tolentino noted that the strategy hastened their rescue and response operations especially in Marikina City where around 20,000 residents had to be evacuated by rescue groups when the water in the Marikina River reached critical level.

“We are planning to also include a Coast Guard team since they were also active participants in last week’s rescue operations,” he said.

Tolentino explained that if this type of response plan would be adopted in future calamities, they would also need to put up four command centers in the metropolis to further speed up their response time.

A noticeable improvement in the preparedness and alertness level of local government units was also lauded by Tolentino who observed that the LGUs’ response teams were already at work in critical areas even before the MMDA rescue teams arrived.

In Marikina, police and barangay (village) officials were already deployed as early as 3 a.m. on Friday to monitor the water level in the Marikina River and to help in the evacuation of residents, especially in Barangay Tumana.

Tolentino said that the remaining aspect to be worked out and further improved on was how to encourage people to cooperate in case of preemptive evacuation.