Ancajas said the CDRRMO is strongly pushing for the implementation of the ordinance.
“Mas maayo mag-evacuate ka sa imung balay na di ka mabasam na di ka malapukan kanang wala pay nahitabong baha (It is better to evacuate from your home when you are not yet wet, when you are not yet muddied, when there is still no flood),” he said.
He added that the city has early warning systems upstream thatare equipped with cameras to monitor the situation of the river.
“From Tamugan to Jade Valley, paspas na kaayo nang two hours or three hours ang pagbaba sa tubig so taas kaayo ang lead time. So mao nagatawag na mi ug pre-emptive kay didto palang sa camera makit-an na namo ang kadako sa tubig sa taas (From Tamugan to Jade Valley, it would take the most two to three hours for water to come down, so we have a long lead time. When we call pre-emptive evacuation, we already saw in the camera the large volume of water upstream),” Ancajas said.
He said disobeying the pre-emptive evacuation order will not just put that person in peril but also the responders sent to rescue the hard-headed individual.
There was no reported casualty during the flooding, and officials attributed this to the pre-emptive evacuation and regular early announcements among the identified riverside barangays. The CDRRMO was able to rescue 2,423 families, or an estimated 8,129 individuals, during the flooding in the city. (RGA/PIA Davao)
