The City Government of Davao has strengthened its disaster response measures during the nearly six years of the current administration to alert and protect its residents during calamities.
Mayor Inday Sara Duterte said, “We have installed more than 80 early warning signages and four cameras in four coastal areas in the city to monitor movements in the Davao Gulf. Cameras have been installed along the rivers in Tamugan, Crossing Bayabas, Tugbok, Matina Biao, Fatima, and Pañalum as part of the River Monitoring Project.”
She said that new sirens were installed throughout the city, especially in disaster-prone areas, to alert residents of weather disturbances or emergencies. Three LED billboards were also installed in strategic locations in the city to provide early warning updates and advisories, the first of which was installed in Ulas.
Five mobile kitchens, called the Kusina Ng Bayan, were also activated through the City Social Welfare and Development Office and Barangay Cultural Communities and Affairs Division (BCCAD), to deliver food assistance to communities, especially during times of disasters and emergencies.
She thanked the brave men and women behind Central 911, the Public Safety and Security Command Center, the Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the Davao City Social Welfare and Development Office, PNP and AFP units, and the various volunteer rescue units that provide an immediate response in times of calamities.
“For your courage and selflessness, Davao City was named first place for Best City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, highly urbanized city category, in the Gawad Kalasag National Awards of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council,” the mayor added during her Valedictory and State of the City Address (SOCA) streamed live on the City Government of Davao Facebook page on March 17, 2022,
She, however, cited the perennial flooding problem in certain areas in the city. However, the City Planning and Development Office and the City Engineer’s Office were directed to work closely with other government agencies such as the Department of Public Works and Highways in coming up with short-term and long-term solutions.
Mayor Duterte also said the Davao City Flood Contingency Plan has already been approved.
Meanwhile, the City Government of Davao crafted a Local Climate Change Action Plan to help secure Davao City’s development gains and sustainability efforts by building disaster-resilient, climate change-adaptive communities as disasters are related to climate change. CIO
