THE Mandaue City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MCDRRMO) had already mandated the Barangay Emergency Response Teams (BERTs) to be on heightened alert following the successive heavy downpour in Metro Cebu.

Buddy Alain Ybañez, MCDRRMO head, told reporters on Monday, August 8, 2022, that this initiative aims to ensure the Mandaue City barangays are 100 percent ready for any sudden calamities, like the heavy thunderstorm on Thursday, August 4.

Ybañez said the heavy rains brought floods to several areas in Mandaue, particularly the city's flood-prone areas, namely, Barangays Centro, Looc, Opao, Umapad, Cambaro, Subangdaku, and Paknaan.

About 160 families in Sitio Tambis and Laray in Barangay Umapad and 11 from Barangay Ibabao were evacuated, following the downpour.

Ybañez said the directive aims for BERTs to strictly monitor any reported weather disturbances and help the MCDRRMO implement evacuations when needed.

"They (BERTs) are the ones who call us when there is a need for evacuation and guide us where to go because it is their area. So, it is important that they initiate an evacuation if highly needed because there are times the MCDRRMO personnel might arrive delayed because there are instances that some roads become unpassable due to flood," Ybañez said.

"They should be on call as much as possible," he added.

Ybañez also urged the public, particularly those in flood-prone areas, not to wait for responders and to evacuate to the nearest evacuation centers before the water rises during heavy rains to avoid accidents and fatalities. (HIC)