Mayor says city’s disaster preparedness is ‘very proactive’

Mayor Benjamin Magalong said the city government has become ‘very proactive’ when it comes to the Summer Capital’s disaster preparedness as shown by a flood early warning system (FEWS), a P660-million grant from the Australian government,  that will be completed before the end of the year and  integrated into the SMART City System.      

FEWS detects a flooding condition and warns inhabitants of the approaching deluge because the longer the time between the warning and the actual arrival of the flood, the better for residents to prepare by bringing themselves and their belongings to safe places.

In a media forum, Jan. 11, the Mayor said a Seismic Stratigraphy study will also be conducted in the city  that measures ground movements during an earthquake.

Another is a geospatial analytics project with the University of the Cordilleras and Department of Science and Technology to measure the  ‘heat island effect’ on the city and see what diminishing ‘green cover’ and increasing structures does to the city’s temperature and environment. 

“The cutting of trees to give way for the construction of buildings has contributed greatly to the increasing temperature in the city,” the Mayor said.     

He said the city has already submitted its Resiliency Recovery Plan and that it’s Climate and Disaster Risk Assessment (CIDRA) is being finalized.

The City Disaster Risk  Reduction Management Council (CDRRMC) thru the CDRRM Office under Antonette Anaban has also been submitting contingency master plans to address climate change and other types of disasters, the Mayor said. – Gaby B. Keith