MANILA – Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte cited the city government’s improved disaster response in the recent bad weather and adverse effects of tropical cyclones Crising, Dante, and Emong, and the southwest monsoon or “habagat.”
In a media briefing at the QC Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) on Friday, Belmonte said there is still room for improvement in the city’s response efforts, and that the city government is eyeing long-term solutions to flooding and mass evacuation challenges.
“I am very satisfied with the response, especially if you compare the response now with our response sa (to Typhoon) Carina,” she said, referring to the July 2024 cyclone.
Belmonte cited the report made by QCDRRMO head Bianca Perez, who noted a sharp drop in emergency rescue calls from 864 during Carina to 158 this past week.
Perez credited this to the pre-emptive evacuations conducted by the city government, which effectively reduced the number of families seeking rescue when the flooding happened.
Belmonte said the 800 calls received last year translate to government failure in convincing residents to leave their houses early.
She said that when people refused to evacuate, it also puts the lives of rescuers at risk.
This time around, Belmonte said, people evacuated on the first call, significantly reducing the conduct of rescue operations.
“And for me, that is an indicator of success. Although, siyempre para sa isang leader katulad ko, hindi po katanggap-tanggap na meron po tayong casualties. Kaya we are still, at the moment, trying to think of ways na sa susunod na ganito ko, sana wala na po. Zero casualties in Quezon City ang gusto namin (And for me, that is an indicator of success. Although, of course, for a leader like me, it is unacceptable that we have casualties. We are still, at the moment, trying to think of ways so that next time I do this, hopefully there would be no casualties. We want zero casualties in Quezon City)," she said.
Belmonte reported three recorded deaths and two missing persons in the city due to flooding.
Perez, meanwhile, reported that more than 37,000 residents from 142 barangays were evacuated to 80 designated evacuation centers, with large clusters in low-lying areas, such as San Francisco, Tatalon, and Bagbag.
“Quezon City’s size always presents a challenge, but we’ve managed to move people out before the worst of the rains hit,” Perez said. “More people in evacuation centers means fewer lives at risk.”
Quick Response Fund
Following the declaration of a state of calamity, the city unlocked its PHP485.9 million Quick Response Fund (QRF).
“Yung quick response fund, yun po ang pwedeng galawin kapag nasa state of calamity po tayo. Otherwise, restricted po ang amount na yan. Hindi po yan magagamit. Reserve po yan para sa emergencies. So yan po ang yung PHP485,975,974 (The quick response fund can be used when we are in a state of calamity. Otherwise, that amount is restricted. It cannot be used. It is reserved for emergencies. So that is the PHP485,975,974),” Belmonte said.
The amount is a portion of the city’s PHP1.6 billion disaster budget for 2025.
Belmonte said the QRF would be allocated for the emergency repairs and infrastructure restoration, flood waste collection by the Department of Sanitation, and purchase of additional medicines to prevent post-disaster illnesses like leptospirosis, among others.
Belmonte assured prudent and strategic use of this public fund.
Long-term solutions
Belmonte said beyond the current initiatives of the city government to address emergency situations, the city is pushing for better evacuation planning and systemic flood control.
She said that a task force led by City Administrator Michael Alimurung is analyzing the root causes of flooding per district to inform targeted solutions.
Belmonte also backed the call of QC 1st District Rep. Arjo Atayde for a Metro Manila-wide drainage master plan.
She added that she is looking at improving evacuation centers to better cater to its residents in cases of calamities, such as strong typhoons.
She said that ideally, evacuation centers should follow international standards where there are enough comfort rooms, showers, and comfortable places to sleep and stay.
“(So that) evacuating is not something that causes suffering, but rather it eases their apprehensions, it eases their suffering. So, kasama sa pang-plano natin is sa lahat po ng infrastructure projects natin, pwede po sila pang-double as evacuation centers (So we plan to have infrastructure projects that can double as evacuation centers)," she said.
“Our people deserve only the best here in Quezon City, and we intend to provide them with the best service. Kahit na nasa kalagitnaan po tayo ng mga epekto ng climate change, kailangan po maging resilient tayo, kailangan po adaptable tayo, at kailangan higit sa lahat, people-centric pa rin po ang ating paglilingkod sa mga mamamaya ng ating lungsod (Even though we are in the midst of the effects of climate change, we need to be resilient, we need to be adaptable, and above all, we need to still be people-centric in our service to the residents of our city).” (PNA)