AN OFFICIAL from the Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) rated the recent river-wide flood simulation exercise (Simex) a 7 out of 10, citing both commendable efforts and areas for improvement.
Rodrigo Bustillo, CDRRMO officer, said disaster preparedness requires proactive measures so that communities are ready before calamities strike. He noted that some barangays, particularly Waan, Tigatto, 1-A, and 2-A, still need to strengthen their response capacity despite having their own Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Teams (BDRRMTs).
“Barangay responders play a vital role as they are the first to act during disasters,” Bustillo said, adding that these barangays must also engage more actively in the city’s monitoring system to remain alert to threats.
On a positive note, he cited improvements in information dissemination and compliance with evacuation protocols, pointing out that Dabawenyos are now more responsive to advisories and siren alerts compared to previous years.
All barangays along the Davao River, from Mandug to Bucana, took part in the drill, which Bustillo stressed is mandatory. “So that they themselves know what to do when flooding occurs. So far, all of them are participating,” he said in a radio interview on September 29.
CDRRMO Assistant Department Head Rudy Encabo also expressed satisfaction with the exercise, saying participants applied lessons from previous meetings and training.
The river-wide drill was conducted on September 27 and involved 13 barangays: Mandug, Waan, Maa, 9-B, 9-A, 10-A, 5-A, 8-A, 3, 2-A, 1-A, Bucana, and Matina Crossing.
Earlier, on September 21, CDRRMO also held a Simex in five downstream barangays of the Lipadas River—Crossing Bayabas, Marapangi, Lisada, Lubogan, and Sirawan—identified as highly vulnerable to flooding due to heavy rainfall in the highlands. RGP