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Check this out to know more about Barangay Pio del Pilar!

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“Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much

Helen Keller

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Community Walk

These are Kuya Ronnie and Pao who accompanied me throughout my walk within the community.

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Interview Proper

This is ‘Kuya Chodi’, a barangay tanod for almost 20 years.

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Best Practices

These people are the ones who remove and clean the drainage every week to ensure that the water flow in the barangay is smooth and free from clogs.

These are the Barangay Tanods who roam around the community to check the safety of the citizens. They are available 24/7 which is a great help and convenience for everyone.

Our barangay has fire truck, ambulance, and pick-up on standby, waiting for the emergency calls of the people of Pio del Pilar.

There are warning signs posted in flood prone areas to increase the awareness of the residents.

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Safe Spaces

This is the Barangay Colosseum that can attend to atleast 300 people whenever a calamity strikes. It has three floors which could be a great place to go during high floods.

The elementary school is also an evacuation area in case emergencies and disasters happen.

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Hazardous Places

This is one of the crossings where vehicular accidents occur atleast thrice a week.

This is the Tripa de Gallina Creek where the water level increases at a fast pace.

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Reflection | Synthesis | Analysis

The threat is real – disasters disrupt hundreds of thousands of lives every year and each disaster has lasting effects, both to people and property. Preparing for the unknown does take some time, but you do not have to prepare for and do everything. Just figure out what aspects of information and procedures are relevant to your locale, lifestyle and family.

Barangay Pio del Pilar of Makati City has 880,900 sq. m. in total which shares 3.2% to the City’s total land area. Known to be bounded by Tripa de Gallina Creek on the west, the risk of heavy flood occurrence is always high. Ever since we resided here in Pio del Pilar, it has been the most problematic issue we are facing. Because of this, the barangay and city council has thought of several solutions to address this issue. With the help of different organizations namely Maynilad, BFP, PLDT, Meralco, Engineering offices and building officials, they provided different programs such as Iwas Baha Drive that includes distribution of leaflets, flyers, seminars and dialogues to increase the awareness of constituents on how to prevent and what to do during and after flooding. Another program is the Makati Waterways Clean-up Operations which involves cleaning and declogging of waterway system in Makati in compliance with the continuing mandamus of the supreme court. Additionally, the ‘Establishment of Early Warning Devices’ is also part of their plan that focuses on installation of flood monitoring system, cctv, weather link, and PA’s system. 

In Makati, the number of fire incidents this 2019 totaled to 349 with estimated fire damages amounting to P28,68283,350. The cases were mostly electrical-related (150) followed by residential (104) which resulted in two fatalities and 21 injuries among civilians. With 30,732 residents of Pio del Pilar (According to 2015 Census), the risk of fire occurrence will always be there. To ensure the firefighting capabilities within the barangay level, the council has decided to implement the ‘Fire Hydrant Meron Kami’ program which includes installation of standby pipes on every street. 

Based from BDRRM of Pio del Pilar, other programs were crafted to ensure the overall safety of the residents. These are Establishment of BDRRMC, Establishment of EOC, Hazard and Risk and Vulnerability Assessment, Development of EIC, Institutionalization of the ICS, Skills training for Brgy. Disaster Emergency Responder, Disaster related trainings seminar workshop, Conduct of emergency drills and simulation exercises, Disaster Emergency Resource and Relief Operation, Participation of the Youth Sector in DRRM, Enhancement and upgrade of response capacity, For speedy access to Information and Efficient Coordination, Activation of local and private cooperatives, Community monitoring and reporting program for infrastructure developed and established, Community Environmental, Health and Sanitation Monitoring Teams and Critical incident stress debriefing program for Barangay personnel. 

However, the essence of these programs will not work unless the people of the barangay are willing to participate. According to ‘Kuya Chodi’, a barangay tanod for almost 20 years, one of the problems they are facing is the discipline and cooperation of the people. For example, if they keep on establishing seminars regarding disaster awareness and only a few people will attend, how could it be effective in reducing the risk of fatalities? Another problem is the lack of transportation system in the community which leads to slower distribution of resources during calamities. Nevertheless, the whole barangay council, together with the national government, will exert their best efforts to fulfil its duty in preserving the wellness and safety of the country. 

Given that the Philippines is located along the Ring of Fire, or typhoon belt, a large Pacific Ocean region where many of Earth's volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur, the number of risks each year is continuously increasing. With this, the different departments and organizations of the country shall double their efforts to attend to the needs of every Filipinos whenever a calamity occurs. The programs being implemented and will be implemented by these officials help us become aware for any possible harm that might cost our lives since disasters are often unexpected by their very nature, leaving little time, if any, to prepare. This is why it is vital to put time into planning and preparation long before the disaster strikes. Effective disaster preparedness also helps alleviate some of the chaos wrought by the unexpected crisis. It is critical to have a written plan in place, and for all staff to understand their role within the plan. Disaster plans should be revisited regularly to ensure complete understanding within the organization.

As I walk within my community, I saw different hazards and realized that our place is really prone to danger, especially during the rainy season. Despite these dangers, I can say that our barangay officials have prepared and planned well since there are emergency equipment and posters present around the area. However, due to lack of funds, the resources are not enough to cater the needs of everyone at the same time. On the other hand, poverty also plays a role in measuring the chances of survival during these tough times. People who have limited access to better lifestyle leads them closer to death since they usually live beside the creek with no roof and a bed to sleep on. With our differences, we should learn how to extend our hands equally to everyone. We should use a variety of methods to build capacity for doing community work so that every person in the society would be aware of the procedures and strategies he/she must do when a calamity strikes. Offering many opportunities for people involved in community also helps in working to meet and learn from each other. Every one of us must utilize distance education to give people the opportunity to learn with others doing similar work in different places. If one shares the right information, then we must be able to live an efficient community in times of struggles. 

Remember, there is no “I” in the word “barangay”. Let us all help one another.

Sources:

https://www.makati.gov.ph/