Dabawenyos urged to be ready for possible evacuation

AN OFFICIAL from the Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) said that they are advising all Dabawenyos to be ready amid the continuous rain caused by the trough of the Low-Pressure Area (LPA).

Alfredo Baloran, Head of CDRRMO, in a radio interview on Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR), on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, said that they already advised all the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee (BDRRMC), and the search and rescue teams to preposition their resources because of the LPA.

“Aduna kitay mga advisories nga mag-andam kini atoang mga kaigsoonan tungod ani atong nasinati nga continuous nga pagbunok sa ulan (We have advisories that people should be vigilant at all times because of the continuous downpour),” Baloran said.

Apart from monitoring the major river tributaries in the city, Baloran expressed that they are also monitoring the situation in the upland areas due to a tendency for the major rivers to overflow.

As of 8 a.m., he said that there were no major floods on the roads in the city but still advised drivers to be cautious.

Meanwhile, Lyndon Leovic L. Ancajas, RN, CDRRMO administration and training chief, said that people should remain vigilant, particularly in this weather. He pointed out that those living near landslide-prone and flood-prone areas should be extra careful.

“Atoang gina hangyo ang atoang mga katawhan nga katong mga areas nga sige’g kasinati og pagbaha in the past, so karong panahona andam-andamon na nila ilang mga survival kit ug ilahang mga sarili, mga pamilya kay basin muabot ang panahon na atoa silang i-request nga mo-evacuate (We are asking our people who are living in areas that have been experiencing flooding in the past, so in this type of weather they must secure their survival kit and themselves, their family because time will come where we will request them to evacuate),” Ancajas said.

He added that Dabawenyos should be cooperative when they issue pre-emptive evacuation; this is to ensure that they would not be forced to enforce forced evacuation. /