The City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) asked the cooperation of Dabawenyos during disaster operations amid threat of a La Niña phenomenon which comes with heavy rains.
In recent years, swollen rivers dumped waters into various areas of the city, triggering forced evacuation, especially among residents of low-lying areas.
Alfredo Baloran, the chief of CDRRMO, emphasized the need for the cooperation of the public to ensure their safety in times of calamity.
Baloran said residents of danger zones should heed the advice of the government agencies and to immediately comply in the event of a preemptive evacuation.
“If there is a warning that we will give to them, they really need to comply with it. Our aim is to keep them safe. It may inconvenience them but we are concerned about their safety,” he stressed.
Baloran cited previous encounter with people who refused to vacate their properties during forced evacuation.
“We need to be mindful if there is a heavy rain. They might be in danger if they will not evacuate once we asked them to,” he said.
In 2011, 25 people died when the Balusong River in Matina Pangi overflowed due to heavy rains in the hinterlands.
We do not want similar incident to happen, which was why they are asking for everybody’s cooperation, Baluran said. CIO
