CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) — In observance of National Disaster Resilience Month, member agencies of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in Central Visayas (RDRRMC-7) underscored disaster resilience and preparedness amid the rainy season.
During the Kapihan sa PIA program on July 10, Office of the Civil Defense (OCD-7) regional director Joel Erestain said the observance of National Disaster Resilience Month aims to raise awareness on disaster preparedness, especially since July is expected to bring more rains.
He cited the heavy downpour on Monday, July 8, which caused flooding, flash floods, and accidents in the city, including neighboring provinces.
“This marks the beginning of the rainy season. It rained in May, but this is more intense. On Monday, there were flash floods. It rained for only a short time, but Mandaue was hit hard. Many vehicles were affected. There were also flash floods in Minglanilla, damaging three houses, two of which were totally destroyed. The road from Dalaguete to Argao was also damaged. In Bindoy, Negros Oriental, there was a drowning incident. And then, in Carmen, Cebu, a pick-up truck carrying 17 people was swept away by a flash flood. Ten were rescued, one died that night, and six are missing,” said Erestain.
“It was an extreme rainfall event,” explained PAGASA Visayas Weather Service chief Al Quiblat.
He said that an extreme rainfall event refers to rainfall of more than 20 millimeters in one hour.
“We recorded 74.4 millimeters of rain in Mactan and 101 millimeters in Carmen. To put it in perspective, that’s equivalent to filling 40 Olympic-sized swimming pools within four hours. The level of rain was torrential,” added Quiblat.
Erestain noted that the observance highlights resilience and preparedness even before a disaster strikes.
“These are things we study and learn about, hoping we never need them, but it’s better to be prepared,” he said.
The OCD-7 chief said the government has been preparing for the ‘Big One’ or a 7.2-magnitude earthquake, and an 8.3-magnitude earthquake along the Manila Trench.
“However, two or three months ago, there was a 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Taiwan, a highly urbanized area, yet fewer than 10 people died. This shows that with over 10 years of preparation, they managed. So if we are prepared, we can handle it,” Erestain explained.
Quiblat said the rainy season was officially declared to have started on May 29.
He said that part of their precautionary measures include issuing weather advisories and warnings regularly to the public.
“For the Palarong Pambansa activity, we have given the Department of Education special weather advisories for the entire duration of the event until July 18. For the next five days, we expect 100 percent chance of rain, but intermittently and most likely due to thunderstorms, which are associated with hazards,” said Quiblat.
Aside from forecasting radar, PAGASA also has a nowcasting radar, which provides a current state and short-range weather forecast of up to two to three hours that can quickly predict thunderstorms.
PAGASA is also closely coordinating with local government units for briefings on how they should respond to the given forecasts.
“PAGASA is only a warning agency. We all need to act accordingly. We need to improve. PAGASA is moving towards impact-based forecasting. Not only do we rely on the accuracy of hazard-based forecasting, but we also give specific impacts on specific sectors. We are filling that gap to improve our hazard response and gather more equipment to increase our monitoring system,” he added.
Geohazards
Mines and Geoscience Bureau (MGB-7) supervising geologist Josephine T. Aleta said that geohazards like earthquakes, landslides, or tsunamis are natural phenomena but can lead to disasters if people or properties are affected.
“We advocate for avoiding disasters in susceptible areas. For example, we are mapping landslides and floods, so for these highly susceptible areas, we would discourage LGUs from allowing settlements to prevent a disaster in case of flooding,” said Aleta.
MGB continues to update its geohazard maps and provide mapping results, including geohazard threat advisories with recommendations to the LGUs. (MYP/PIA7)
