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A successful visit

As I was being mesmerized by their actions for the community, the vice chairman quickly gets hold of my expectations for the barangay. Then he said to me that they are still far from perfect. But what he can assure to me is that they are very capable to respond the right way in times of crisis. I was struck to what he said right after, “Lahat ay nagsisimula sa simpleng disiplina”. All the things they’ve done are useless if the people are not disciplined enough to follow and cooperate in their operation for the community. They’ve given their residents knowledge and tools but their lives lie within their hands.

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Discipline in the community

The tricycles are in their proper and designated terminals, and not occupying that much space of the road. However, just beside and behind the tricycle terminal are private vehicles park on the side of the road. It’s very important to know that firetrucks and ambulances has to get pass easily in each roads so that they can respond quickly. It is strictly prohibited that private vehicles are not allowed to be park on the side of the road. DISCIPLINE is also an important part of DRRM.

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DISCIPLINE

Nationwide there is the implementation of DRRM in order to lessen the possible casualty of a disaster. But all of these are here to educate and prepare us in times of disaster. This doesn’t assure our safety, our lives depend on our hands. Discipline is the biggest factor it’s a nationwide problem as well. If people keeps on throwing trash on the drainage sooner than later it will pile up and will cause us everything. If all of these vehicles park on the streets/ roads then sooner than later it will occupy everything making it impossible for the fire trucks or ambulances to operate. If trees are continuously cut down then sooner than later we will be all submerged in flood water. The government gives us everything we need in order to ensure our safety but what we lack is discipline. Disasters can interrupt a community’s livelihood but it can also go as far as interrupt the nation’s economy. But what’s the biggest enemy is not the disaster itself rather ourselves. There’s also this belief that disasters are the consequences of our actions, for not taking care of the environment.

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Go - to place

In case of a major disaster breaks out in the community, the UST fairgounds  and field is open for the public. It can accommodate at the very least an approximate thousands of students and citizens.

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Far from Perfect

As I take a look around the community, I’ve seen some blemishes around our street and the one that caught my eyes are these electric posts and cable lines. In case a fire break out or an earthquake happens this post line is considered as a hazard. It’s very dangerous to have the cable lines overlapping with each other especially with this much.

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Preparing for a Disaster

    They also conduct mandatory earthquake/ fire drills in the community to orient the residents. They’ve also done a great job by implementing precautions in the community. Tricycle drivers are advised not to occupy too much space of the road, to give way for fire trucks or ambulance to respond quickly. They are also conducting a weekly de-clogging of drainage and as well as clean-up of sidewalks and streets.

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Handy Equipment

    Just like any other community, there are risk and crisis we can’t avoid but what we can do is reduce the damage it can deal to us. Fire, Typhoon, Pandemic and/or Earthquake disaster can happen unexpectedly but the barangay is very well equipped with proper knowledge and equipment to cope up during and after a disaster. The barangay is responsible for the safety and orderliness of the community during a disaster. Hence, they conduct a mandatory checking of equipment monthly to test whether the equipment are functioning or not.

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Barangay Visit

     And so I take a look and visited the barangay hall of Barangay 471 zone 46 district IV of Manila City which homes to thousands of residents including myself and my fellow Thomasians aspiring to build their dreams into reality here in the University of Santo Tomas. As I enter the barangay hall, staffs gladly welcomed me and asked me if there’s anything that they can do to help me. I was mesmerized by how welcoming they are. With that, it makes it much easier for me to conduct interview with them. Here and then, I threw out questions that I am very curious mainly about Disaster Risk Reduction Management. I am very much happy that I feel satisfied with the answers I got.

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Living on my own

   As a fellow Thomasian who’s aspiring to have brighter future by studying here in The Pontifical and Royal University. My parents and I took a lifetime decision by allowing me to live away from them for my sake and my studies. And so every day I wake up on my own, cook by myself and prepare myself for school every morning. Basically I do every chore by my own for almost a year now which is normally what my parents or kasambahay would either do for me or help me. All throughout my parents are very confident and assured that I can live on my own. However, one thing that makes it hard for them to allow me live on my own is my safety, as any parents would do is to care for their child’s safety. Every now and then, they will always text or call me every time they hear that a fire broke out nearby or an earthquake happens.