Angeles DRRMC ready for disasters

ANGELES CITY -- The Angeles City Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council (DRRMC) on Friday said the City Government is already prepared with its year-round plan in responding to calamities.

Angeles DRRMC head Rochelle Aguilar said that even if the city is not prone to flooding, some barangays are susceptible to soil erosion, especially those along the Abacan Riverbank.

Based on DRRMC's hazard map, Aguilar identified the susceptible barangays as Margot, Anunas, Balibago, Pandan, Amsic, Malabanias, Pulung Maragul, and Pampang.

He said these areas are at risk of lateral erosions or landslides because there is critical scouring in the riverbank.

"Our preparedness is always at the worst scenario. So for example, if there would be an incident that is not that worst, it would be easy. We will just adjust the plan to what would suit the incident," said Aguilar.

He said the city's DRRMC already made institutional arrangements with the City Government to ensure public safety and raise awareness with trainings and seminars on disaster preparedness in barangays.

"The emergency response teams or emergency task units are mission-ready and those things that they would need are already set based on the assessment," Aguilar added.

"We also have a system of registration of the people in the community, in barangays, even before the rainy season. We already have listed those that would possibly need pre-emptive evacuation. We know where we are going to place them," he said.

Currently, the DRRMC is holding disaster preparedness training and orientation, first aid and basic life support, and bandaging training in barangays for the months of June and July as part of the preparation, where committed volunteers and members of the council participate.

Aguilar said the DRRMC would also be involved in massive information campaign in communities to inform people about what could happen if they will not cooperate with the authorities during times like typhoons.

"That's why we do a year-round plan. Even before the typhoon would come, we are informing the people about the risks. We show them pictures, presentations of those who were washed-out before. We are under very strict instructions to do everything we can do to ensure nothing worse could happen in the city or to the people when disasters would come," he said. (Sunnex)