PAGASA tells LGUs, public: Be proactive on rainy days

CEBU, Philippines — Proactive flood safety measures should be focused by local government units and households as rains and typhoon will become frequent this season, said a local official from Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

As the weather bureau launched "Typhoon and Flooding Awareness Week" on Monday, PAGASA-Cebu officer-in-charge Alfredo Quiblat, Jr. underscored that every stakeholder has to be "proactive" than being "reactive."

He said people should learn from the 2013 experience when super typhoon Yolanda ravaged several areas in the Visayas region that resulted in many deaths.

Quiblat emphasized that warnings and advisories from the forecasting agency will be useless if individuals and entities are not prepared and have nomitigation measures.

He suggested that local officials should act now and preparations should include dredging works on riverbanks and clearing clogged drainage.

Households should also have own evacuation plan, especially for families that live in flood-prone areas, and not only depend on the LGU.

Quiblat said people should also practice monitoring weather updates.

Since the wet season has started, there will be more rains in the succeeding days and weeks. More tropical cyclones, locally known as "bagyo," are also expected this season.

Even if these weather systems are inevitable, its effects can be minimized, said Quiblat.

Prolonged rains may trigger flooding especially in low-lying zones or areas near the rivers or water channels.

Quiblat said the government has aimed that there will be "zero" casualty from these typhoon-related hazards.

PAGASA launched on June 18 the "Typhoon and Flood Awareness Week" that aims to raise public consciousness on how to cope with the rainy season and its effects. It will run until June 24.

This year's observance carries the theme: "Science and Technology Innovation a way to Typhoon and Flood Risk Reduction."

It was former president Gloria Arroyo who signed Presidential Proclamation No. 1075 declaring the third week of June as "Typhoon and Flood Awareness Week."

This decree has tasked PAGASA to take the lead in ensuring that enough information, education and communication activities are done. —/MBG (FREEMAN)