DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 04 February) — Disaster-resiliency should start from home and residents, particularly those living in landslide and flood-prone areas, must create their own “family disaster plans” to guide them, the director of the Office of the Civil Defense (OC) in the Davao region said.
Ednar G. Dayanghirang, OCD-Davao director, said part of “family resiliency” is a discussion among members to determine what hazards their respective communities are more susceptible to and to acquaint themselves with the nearest evacuation centers where they can take shelter in case of disasters.
“Disaster resiliency has to be family-based. They must discuss whether they are susceptible to fire, storm surge, river flooding, or landslide and what they must do if this will happen,” he said.
Dayanghirang said that it is important that families must identify and understand the possible hazards.
He also urged each family household should prepare an “emergency go bags.” According to OCD-Davao, emergency go bags should contain “a flashlight and extra batteries, radio, maps/identification cards and personal documents, chargers and powerbanks, food and water, survival army knife, blankets and clothing, personal hygiene kit, medicine and first aid kit, and cash.
As of February 3, data released by the OCD-Davao showed that the trough of the low pressure area (LPA) affected 98,984 families or 413,663 individuals from 61 barangays in the Davao Region.
Out of the total, 44,977 families or 171,683 individuals are from Davao del Norte; 37,557 families or 184,485 individuals from Davao Oriental; 13,790 families or 49,783 individuals from Davao de Oro; 2,044 families or 5,246 individuals from Davao City; and 616 families or 2,466 individuals from Davao Occidental.
In Davao de Oro, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, reported as of 7 a.m. on February 3 that floods and landslides claimed the lives of 10 persons, 12 others were injured and one is missing.
Of the 10 deaths, three were from New Bataan, three in Maragusan, two in Pantukan, one in Monkayo and one in Maco. Of the 12 injured, seven were injured in New Bataan, one in Maragusan, one in Compostela and three in Monkayo.
One person was reported missing in Pantukan.
Dayanghirang also urged families in hazard-prone areas to cooperate with the government, citing instances that families in some areas high-risk for landslides and flooding refused to vacate their houses.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration had announced on February 2 that another trough of a LPA will “cause scattered rain showers and thunderstorms over Mindanao” from February 6 to 9. (Antonio L. Colina IV/ MindaNews)
