Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) in Antipolo City
Antipolo City is an elevated city found in the province of Rizal, and is also known as one of the highest cities here in the Philippines, next to Baguio and Tagaytay CIty. Just like other places, Antipolo City is also prone to disaster and are at risk due to an estimated population of 800000 and roughly has 400 subdivisions according to Calica (2009). Some of these hazards are flood, landslides and earthquakes, and according to Dungo (n.d.), this is due to the geographical location of the country which is along The Pacific, which opens it up to typhoons and earthquakes.
In order to mitigate the disasters approaching, since calamities cannot be stopped, all we can simply do is prepare for the worst through Disaster Risk Reduction Management. In Antipolo City, there is a City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO), and I was able to interview one of their heads, namely Sir Chris Babia, and we were able to discuss about the hazards present in the city, and also the vulnerability and capacity of the community.
We were told that Antipolo suffers mostly from floods, and even though it is an elevated city there are still lower parts of the city, and are exposed to flooding, and some of these areas are Barangays: Mayamot, Kupang, San Luis and Munting Dilaw. The said city hasn’t suffered greatly from any calamities, except the exposed areas, and unlike other cities which aren’t elevated like Antipolo City, are more prone to flooding and storms. They keep updated by keeping in touch with PAGASA, the internet, radio, and not to mention they also rely on an application known as Windy app. This application also helps them communicate with each other especially if the city is about to face a disaster.
The most vulnerable people are those that do not have homes, and as we all know shelter keeps us safe and if we lack this, we are most vulnerable to natural calamities. There are also evacuation centers, in times of distress, and anyone is pretty much welcome. It is also advisable for the community to stay inside their own homes when there are incoming hazards, and also avoid congested areas for safety. The team conducts seminars in order to help the people prepare for upcoming dangers so that the capacity of the community grows and to lessen the disaster risk. The city also owns fire trucks, ambulance and other emergency vehicles, and this is to be ready for disasters that may occur in th municipality. The main objective of the CDRRMO is to inform the community in preparation for upcoming disasters, for the safety of the people, and not to mention, they also try to disseminate information as soon as possible for earlier preparation.
REFLECTION:
I think the main issue in the city is that there are only areas affected by floods, storms, and such. In line with this, I think they should focus on helping those in these areas. They should also prepare well for the worst, since the municipality may be affected by the West Valley Fault System. There are also a number of people without homes, and I think that they should help these people, when there is a disaster coming. Antipolo shouldn’t be the only city to prepare for this, since the Philippines, our country, is located near the Pacific and is exposed to storms and typhoons, and is also prone to earthquake since our country is also part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. The people should help out each other and prepare for whatever natural disaster that may occur, and focus on the community’s resilience and capacity.
I have realized that after this activity and exploring my community more, that there are a lot more to improve within our community, and these are to address the said issues and problem. I also think that the people of the community should focus on improving themselves, because it was somehow evident that the people lack the care for their environment, which may be the cause of the said disasters. We need to address these problems, mainly the environmental issues, because it is us who will reap what has been sown, and that we should really take action in taking good care of our surroundings. We can solve this by teaching people the importance of community development just like how it was discussed to us in our NSTP Course.
As a student and citizen of my own country, I think the most appropriate way for me to contribute to increasing the capacity of our community is to participate in activities that are hosted by the government and other risk reduction management organizations. One of which would be preparing for any upcoming dangers approaching and also to help disseminate the information regarding announcements of any approaching calamities through social media and/or influence. In line with all of these, even with all the preparations made, we should still put initiatives in everything that we do, in order for our community to develop and that in time of disasters and calamities, we should be able to cope and bounce back however great the impact is, and that we shouldn’t rely too much on the government and/or organizations, and try to improve individually for the betterment of our country and/or community.
Calica A. (September 29, 2009). Floods, Landslides Worsening in Antipolo. philstarGLOBAL. Retrieved December 17, 2019 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â from https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2009/09/29/509268/floods- Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â landslides-worsening-antipolo
Dungo, F. (n.d.). Â Why is the Philippines Prone to Typhoons and Earthquakes? Philpad. Retrieved December 17, 2019 from https://philpad.com/why-is- Â Â Â Â Â Â Â the-philippines-prone-to-typhoons-and-earthquakes/