Legarda calls for disaster risk reduction

Sen. Loren Legarda yesterday urged concerned agencies to make adequate preparations for Super Typhoon Ompong (international name Mangkhut) to prevent casualty.

Legarda, chair of the Senate committee on climate change, said local government units (LGUs), including barangay officials, should conduct information dissemination on the strength of the typhoon and its effects and must craft a community evacuation plan.

“Every barangay should inform citizens of possible landslides, flooding and storm surge and those in high-risk areas should be evacuated to safe places before the typhoon approaches the threatened areas,” she said.

She said LGUs should implement forced evacuation when called for. Shelters for evacuees should be well designed, built strong and prepared ahead of time with emergency supplies of food, water, medicine, shelter and toiletries, while government agencies are ready to augment the basic needs of evacuees.

“Quick communication and real-time updates are vital in ensuring effective disaster response with first responders and search and rescue teams ready for dispatch anytime,” she stressed.

For his part, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto agreed with Legarda, saying the public ought to hear a steady stream of typhoon information.

“We are already reeling from the man-made calamity that is inflation and high prices of goods. A natural calamity like a typhoon has the potential of exacerbating our problems exponentially,” Recto said.

Typhoons can flood growing areas, damage planted crops and render farm-to-market roads impassable – any of which can disrupt the supply chain and trigger temporary scarcity that will surely cause prices to rise, he added.