THE Cagayan de Oro City's Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) led by retired Colonel Verner Monsanto is recommending a “lockdown” and “no movement” policies in times of disasters especially on moments of heavy flooding.

By “lockdown,” it means people who were stranded in the flooded areas are advised to stay calm while waiting for rescuers. “No movement” will be for vehicles to not attempt cross flooded streets.

During the command conference last week, City Councilor Teodolfu Lao Jr. who was also present there that these recommendations can be legislated as an ordinance so that everyone complies.

While the intention of these policies are for everyone's safety, it can't be helped realizing the fact that the flooding problem is somewhat unresolvable, like it will be there forever.

The Department of Public Works and Highways in Northern Mindanao did not give definite answer as to whether the ongoing drainage line in Agora crossing CM Recto Avenue can guarantee a total eradication of flooding in that area, it's more perplexing to hear when its representative during the conference said no definite dates for the project to be finished. Should we trust on the process, then?

The “lockdown” and “no movement” policies are what the CDRRMO best come up with, but more to this, and should these policies be institutionalized, the local government should put a teeth on government and non-government offices and agencies by requiring them to be cooperative.

Most, if not all, are very isolationists. They seem to know-it-all but at the end of the day these offices and agencies or institutions - that are often being flooded - don't even have their small team that are trained with basic disaster response and preparation. If there was, clearly they are not applying it at all.

Maybe it's about time we severely penalize those companies, organizations, agencies or institutions that don't cooperate in time of disasters?

(Nefluczon@gmail.com)