THE Davao City Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Office (CDDRMO) advised residents who were recently affected by monsoon waves not to return to coastlines.
"Gina-encourage namo sila nga di na sila mubalik sa area, kay ma-disturb man gihapon ilang pamuyo (We are encouraging them not to return to these areas because they will still experience the same disruption)," CDDRMO chief Alfredo Baloran said right after Monday's (August 5) flag raising ceremony at the City Hall of Davao.
Baloran said the affected barangays reached nine, namely, Barangays 21-C, 22-C, 23-C, Matina Aplaya, Gov. Duterte, Lapu-lapu, Bago Aplaya, Bucana (76-A) and Daliao.
According to the City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO), the local government has aided 522 families affected by the big waves during the weekend.
He also said the city's coastlines will experience monsoon waves for the next two months due to tropical depression. With this, the CDDRMO chief has recommended for the residents living in these "hazard areas" not to live there anymore.
“Kung kami lang sa CDDRMO, bawal jud na siya. CDDRMO has recommended na malimpyo ug mahawa sila kay endanger man ilang life all the time (On the part of CDDRMO, their settlement is illegal. That is why we recommended removing them in these areas because their lives are at risk),” Baloran added.
He also called on all barangay captains in the affected areas to bar these families from returning to the area.
Baloran also said the CDDRMO previously conducted information dissemination on pre-emptive and evacuation measures once the waves hit the shores.
"Hinuon, wala man ta nalisdan kay advanced info dissemination naman ato gihimo. Naa lang uban nagmagahi kay ang katarungan nila is that anad na sila sa ana nga sitwasyon. Pero wala nila na anticipate unsa kadako sa balod na ilang sagubangon (We never struggled with the evacuation because we conducted an advanced information dissemination. Although there are some stubborn residents who refused to evacuate because they reasoned out they are used to the huge waves. What they were not able to anticipate was the size and the strength of the wave that they will encounter)," he said.
Baloran also said the installed coastal cameras helped the CDDRMO and its auxiliary units in immediately responding to the incident.
They also have recorded few injured when the wave struck the residential houses.
On Sunday, August 4, the City Government, led by Vice Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte, inspected all evacuation centers and the distribution of relief goods and assistance.
CSSDO head Maria Luisa Bermudo said the city also allotted P5,000 cash assistance per families.
She said they are still surveying the affected families for additional assistance.
Bermudo also encouraged the barangay council, particularly its disaster risk reduction and management council, to lead in preventing these families not to return to their old dwellings.