Manila disaster response center on 24-hour alert

Manila Mayor Lito Atienza has placed on 24-hour alert the Manila Disaster Operations Center to monitor low-lying areas that may be hit by floods with the onset of the rainy season.

Atienza said floodings in low-lying areas such as Sampaloc as well as those located near Manila Bay would probably still experience flooding especially when there is an extraordinarily high volume of rainfall, but it would not be at the magnitude experienced in the past years.

"Low-lying areas such as Sampaloc are natural catch-basins for floodwaters. All we can do is to ensure that the floods experienced in these areas would recede faster because the flow of water along the waterways would more or less be unimpeded," he explained.

He issued the directive during an overseas call from Spain, where he us currently on an official mission.

To respond to such situations, Atienza has made sure that the city government is ready for any emergency.

This includes daily monitoring by the Manila Disaster Operations Center and having rescue and relief teams to be on call on a 24-hour basis for immediate deployment to affected areas.

Earlier, former Councilor Ernesto Dionisio, city administrator and Manila Disaster Coordinating Council chairman, and Dr. Jose Baranda, head of the Manila Department of Social Welfare, reported to the mayor that they have prepared contingency measures so that the city government’s rescue and relief personnel could immediately be fielded to provide the necessary assistance to residents of flooded areas.

Atienza said that throughout the summer months, the City Engineer’s Office and the Department of Public Services, in coordination with barangays officials, had conducted clearing and de-clogging of waterways such as canals and drainages.

"Clean-up crews from the Office of the City Engineer and the Department of Public Services, augmented by the city government’s two vacuum trucks have been clearing drainage mains and canals of solid waste, debris and other obstructions to ensure faster flow of water when the rains come," he said.

Aside from their regular clean-up and de-clogging operations, the two local government agencies have been closely coordinating with barangay authorities and deploy their clean-up crews and a vacuum truck to a barangay as soon as they receive a request from the barangay chairman.

The two agencies are also closely coordinating with the Manila Barangay Bureau as well as the barangay chairmen in what are considered "critical areas" for the setting up of evacuation centers and the distribution of relief goods to residents of areas affected by floodings. – Cecille Suerte Felipe