Better safe than sorry

I am not from Marikina or Rizal, areas affected by Ondoy, but I get really paranoid when it rains. This was not the case before 2009. I was driving along EDSA when there was a sudden downpour. In a matter of a few minutes, my brother’s pick-up was traversing a bed of water. The crawling vehicles were creating waves. It was just awesome or so I thought. 

In a matter of minutes, I learned about the devastation in Marikina, Antipolo and Rizal, and hence, I rushed back to the office by taking the MRT. The queue extended from the counter all the way down to the first flight of stairs of the MRT station. 

Since then, I never really quite saw the rain the same way again. 

Recently, we’ve been experiencing rains in the afternoons and evenings. The downpour is a sign that the wet season is fast approaching. That means rains and more rains. 

I told our Lingkod Kapamilya team that we have to brace ourselves for more than 20 typhoons until the end of the year, according to the weather bureau PAGASA. Typhoons mean that we would need to be deployed in flooded areas, isolated areas, wherever that may be. It would mean anywhere in the archipelago. 

In 2009, Ondoy hit Metro Manila, and all of the sudden the nation’s capital was vulnerable. It was a nightmare to deploy relief and rescue teams because our streets were flooded and the thoroughfares jammed. For days, some areas in Marikina and Cainta remained isolated. 

Within that week, there was also Typhoon Pepeng. It hit Ilocos when it made a U-Turn, heading back into the country. 

In 2010, we had Bebeng while Pedring hit Central Luzon and Manila in 2011. For the first time, the stretch of Roxas Boulevard was covered with water. Badly hit was Bulacan. Access was also difficult because we needed military trucks in order to send relief to the stranded residents there. For days, victims were short of potable water. They were surrounded by flood, but ironically, there was no clean water to drink. 

And then there was Sendong that wreaked havoc on fertile Mindanao — a region hardly hit by typhoons before. It was Ondoy all over again in Cagayan de Oro. In Iligan, there were trees and logs that came with the flashfloods, causing a number of homes to collapse. People were unprepared because the floodwaters rushed in when most of the residents were asleep. 

These were the worst typhoons that hit the country since Ondoy, according to data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, in terms of casualties and damage to property.

There were 464 people who died in Ondoy while 465 died in Pepeng. Thousands died in Sendong. And there were thousands of others who were not as publicized by the media. But just the same any casualty, be it one person’s life or of a thousand, is a life lost. 

Then again, we can’t help but reflect, how many could have been saved if we were more prepared? 

The tact of the National Government is preparedness, identifying areas that are prone to natural disasters like landslides and floods, among other things. In an ideal world, residents ought to vacate hazardous areas, but this is not the case. It is frustrating. 

In Isla Puting Bato in Manila, for example, informal settlers refuse to leave the breakwaters of Manila Bay, despite the fact that they have been evacuated already a number of times because of the flooding, but they keep on coming back. Families continue to live along esteros, affecting the waterways and causing further flooding. We can save so many lives if we prevent disasters from happening and not simply reacting to the situation. 

Preparedness also need not come solely from the National Government. We, too, must know what to do in times of disasters and calamities. Dr. Ted Esguerra, OIC of the Coast Guard Elite Medical Response Team, gladly shared his list of things to prepare for in times of disaster. Read it closely, as we don’t know when a disaster may happen. 

• Determine what disasters your area is susceptible to. Check with your local emergency management or civil defense office, Red Cross chapter, or the National Weather Service to get an idea of what emergencies you should prepare for.

• Find out what you should do in case a disaster strikes. The organizations above-metioned will likely be able to advise you on what to do in an emergency. They may be able to provide you with evacuation maps and information about local warning systems and emergency plans. If you can’t get all the information you need from officials, research your local hazards on your own. Figure out, for example, what preparations you should make for flood or earthquake and how to survive if you’re caught in one. Determine the best evacuation routes on your own if needed. Remember, when push comes to shove, it’s your responsibility to ensure your family is well-prepared.

• Pick a meeting spot and a way to get in contact with your family members. There’s a chance that all your family members won’t be in the same place when disaster strikes. It’s important to have a predetermined rendezvous point. Choose a spot that will likely be safe and that is well away from your neighborhood, as you might not be able to make it back to your home.

• Designate a friend or relative as a contact person that you, your spouse, and your children can call if you can’t meet up. In order to minimize the chance that the contact person will also be affected by the disaster, choose someone who lives in a distant town or in a different state. Make sure that all your family members have the contact person’s phone number with them at all times.

• Discuss disaster scenarios with your family and make sure everyone knows what to do in all the likely emergency scenarios. It’s important to educate yourself on how to respond to likely hazards, but what happens to your family if they are away from you or if you’re killed or injured? It’s not enough for one person in the family to know what to do — everybody should know the plan.

• Teach your family basic life-saving techniques. Everyone who can learn CPR and first aid should take a certification class and keep their certification current. Adults and older children should know how to turn off gas, electricity and water if the house is damaged, and everyone should know how to detect a gas leak. Emergency numbers should be posted near phones, and even small children should be taught how to call for help or the corresponding emergency number in your place. Practicing how to use a fire extinguisher and checking smoke detectors are great reminder exercises to do once a year.

• Assemble a disaster kit. Be prepared for emergencies with at least, a three-day supply of non-perishable food and potable water, prescription medications, first aid supplies and other things you might need if you have no utilities and no way to purchase supplies. Keep a smaller kit in the trunk of your car.

• Practice your plan. Practice makes perfect, and in a life-or-death situation, you want to respond perfectly. Periodically go over your emergency plans with your family, and update them as needed. Quiz and drill your family on important safety concepts. Do a live test with your family; make it an outing and get everyone involved. That will help you identify what works and what doesn’t.

• Have contingency plans. In the event your emergency site is unavailable or other things change, it’s a good idea to have an alternate already identified.

It is also practical to have a Bail-Out-Bag with you, in the eventuality of an evacuation: 

• Multi-tool, pepper spray

• Water Supply

• Signaling kit (penlight, fire starter/lighter, whistle, AM/FM portable radio, mirror, pentel pen wrapped with duct tape)

• First Aid Kit, med kit (Paracetamol, Meds for colds allergies fever, upset stomach, post Op Ophthalmic drops, mosquito repellant lotion)

• Chocolate, etc.

• Apparel kit (malong, upper/lower quick dry, poncho, sandals

• Cell Phone

• Rope

Keep with you an ID which would have the following information

• Name and blood type

• Address

• Contact person in case of emergency

• Allergies, medications taken and other special needs

• Telephone numbers of hospital, police, poison control, fire, EMS, school, doctor and Red Cross 

Keep safe, everyone. 

(E-mail me at [email protected] or follow me on Twitter @bernadette_ABS.)