The season of rains and natural or man-made disasters has started.
The resent memory of Typhoons Ondoy, Sendong, and Pablo, the earthquake in February 2012, floodings, and landslides in the aftermath should prod all residents into action. Nobody can forget the economic, human, and intangible costs of disasters.
A calamity will come when it comes; all we can do is minimize the risks, and manage our responses to such events.
With several natural or man-made calamities occurring in different regions in the country, the government responded with legislating Disaster Risk-Reduction and Climate Change Mitigation under Republic Act No. 1012, providing for National Disaster Risk-Reduction and Management framework, and institutionalizing the National Disaster Risk- Reduction and Management Plan.
Why climate change? The concept of climate change is easy to understand. Remember when it used to rain the whole day, and we did not pay attention because it was just a normal occurrence?
Nowadays when it rains, everybody pays attention because for sure, after two hours, some area in the city is flooded!
Yes, these days, rains occur with high volume of water, and there is no proper drainage system in public streets, resulting in flashfloods. This is just one phenomenon that illustrates how our climate has changed.
Mayor Chiquiting Sagarbarria had instituted initial measures to address the issues of flooding by constructing deeper drainage in public streets, etc.
However, the community needs to be more involved as “Disaster Risk- Reduction is our Collective Responsibility.”
For instance, do you know where to go in case you need to evacuate your area (for any calamity, heaven forbid)? If not, then get involved and inquire about the details of the City Disaster Plan. Do you know the areas identified as “geohazards” in the City? If not, then maybe your Barangay Disaster Plan in your community has not been well-disseminated. You may also ask: Do we even have a Disaster Plan?
It is important to remember the old Scout’s motto: Be prepared.
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Author’s email: [email protected]
