DAVAO: The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) has warned residents to expect localized thunderstorms and rainfall for the rest of the week due to the prevailing shear line.
With this, CDRRMO head Alfredo Baloran urged residents to bring rain protection, as he also reminded motorists to drive safely to avoid accidents amid slippery roads.
‘Let us ensure our safety, especially those living in landslide-prone and low-lying flood-prone areas. We must stay alert and always listen to the advisories,’ he said in an interview on Wednesday,
Moreover, he advised residents to get on-time information from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) regarding weather situations.
On Tuesday, the city government suspended classes and work in government offices and conducted preemptive evacuation of residents amid the heavy rainfall and flooding in some areas.
In Bunawan district, preemptive evacuation was conducted for the safety of residents in af
fected low-lying villages after the water level of the Bunawan River reached a critical level.
Meanwhile, the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) reported that a total of 101 families were evacuated and are staying at Barangay Bunawan Proper Gym as of Tuesday.
Together with the Barangay Council of Bunawan Proper, the CSWDO team provided meals to affected residents.
A team from the City Health Office (CHO) also provided medical support to the affected residents.
Different conditions
Office of Civil Defense (OCD) administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno, meanwhile, reminded the public not to be confused over the occurrence of bad weather caused by the shear line affecting parts of Mindanao.
Nepomuceno, in a radio interview, also advised the public to fully prepare for the impact of the El Niño phenomenon which is seen to persist until May.
‘Halos buong Pilipinas ang magkakaroon ng drought o yung 90 days halos na tagtuyot, 65 provinces yun mula Norte hanggang Mindanao (Almost the entir
e Philippines will experience drought or 90 days of near-drought conditions, 65 provinces from the north up to Mindanao),’ he said.
Preparations for El Niño should also address possible shortages in the food supply, energy, health and even security, he added.
“Pero ang pangunahing pinaghahandaan ay water supply dahil in short term ito ang direktang may epekto sa ating mga kababayan. Kung walang maiinom, malaking problema, kahit pag-iimbak ng tubig (but the primary preparation for now is for the water supply because in the short term, this will have the most effect on our countrymen. If there is nothing to drink, it will be a big problem, even if there are attempts to store water),” Nepomuceno said.
He said they do not see any adverse conditions for now amid reports of deep wells in Bukidnon that already dried up.
‘Kami po magpapadala ng water filtration machines para makatulong sa mga kababayan natin doon (We will send water filtration machines to help our fellow Filipinos there),’ he added.
Last week,
key members of the Task Force El Niño and other concerned government agencies convened to develop the Improved National El Niño Online Platform (ENOP).
Member agencies including the Departments of Agriculture; of Environment and Natural Resources; of Energy; of Health; and of the Interior and Local Government discussed the identification of available data sets from key sectors, prioritization of ENOP features per key sector, ENOP accessibility for decision-making and public use, and the capability assessment of key sectors for its implementation.
Source: Philippines News Agency