THE City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) has established seven assistance centers in this southern port city.
CSWDO chief Francisco Barredo said Friday the centers were established to respond and render assistance to the residents of this city's 98 barangays during emergency.
Barredo said the centers are manned by capable and trained personnel of the CSWDO and ready to give assistance in case of displacement of residents both by natural and man-made calamities.
Zamboanga City experiences flash floods, storm surge and other form of natural calamity though it is not within the typhoon belt.
It is however located within the Sulu trench and Cotabato trench, which the local office of the Philippine Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said, vulnerable to occurrence of earthquake.
Barredo noted that usually flash floods and storm surge occur during heavy rains spawn by Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ICTZ) and cold front.
The centers are located in Barangays Ayala; Sta. Barbara in downtown area; Sta. Maria north from downtown; and, Tetuan, Culianan, Curuan and Vitali in the east coast.
The CSWDO personnel assigned in the seven assistance centers will serve as the first responders during emergencies and calamities, Barredo said. (Bong Garcia)