mikamgbe

[mikamgbe]

Module 3: BDRRM Kwentuhan

Last December 9, 2019, I was given the opportunity to visit the barangay hall located at Brgy. San Isidro in order conduct an interview to the barangay officials regarding the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management of the area. 

San Isidro is located at Cainta, Rizal, with an estimated population of 69,337 citizens. The barangay is surrounded with residential homes mixed in with commercial areas.

Based on the interview with two barangay officials, Buena Manlay and Rose Gomay, the most common calamity wherein the barangay is extremely affected is flooding. This commonly occurs during the rainy season especially when there are typhoons approaching. They then further explained that that even with the smallest amount of rainfall, flooding is already apparent in the area. Due to this, whenever they hear that there is an incoming typhoon or low pressure area based on the news, the barangay always ensures to prepare for the possible disasters that would possibly occur. Moreover, when asked about other calamities, they emphasized that flooding is the only disaster that occurs around the barangay unless there is an earthquake or other unforeseen disaster yet to come.

Interview with barangay officials

When asked as to why floods are so apparent in the area, aside from the typhoons and low-level areas of the community, there are also a number of creeks that surround the barangay. In addition, there are also people who do not properly dispose of their waste and carelessly throw it on the street, which then clogs the drainage systems of the area.

The areas most prone to floods are Green Park, Vista Verde, St. Dominic, and Sumulong, more particularly around the Roosevelt area wherein FEU Roosevelt Cainta is located. During Ondoy, the flood was so strong that it already reached above a person’s average height. Personally, even where I live, where I am fortunate enough to be  located at a high area wherein flooding does not occur, the condition was so bad that it even reached until the second floor in other areas at the village. Thus, due to this experience, they have tightened their safety and rescue management. 

In order to minimize and to have a proper waste management, the citizens are not allowed to dispose of their trash outside. Instead, they are to keep of their trash in an area in their house until a garbage collector does their weekly visit and personally goes house-to-house to collect the garbage. The days would then vary depending on the street their house is located at. Moreover, whenever there is an approaching typhoon, kagawads would do a 24-hour surveillance and patrol around the barangay in case an emergency would occur. They also have ordinances such as “Tapat Ko, Linis Ko,” “Bawal Magkalat, ” and “Bawal Magbungkal ng Basura” which focuses on keeping the community clean and orderly, if these ordinances are not followed, vilolaters will be fined with a certain amount ranging from Php 500 to Php 2,500.

Ordinances in Barangay San Isidro

In terms of equipment, the barangay also has a storage box of certain tools and materials needed for different disasters such as flooding, landslides, and earthquakes. It was also mentioned that they have a boat in stand-by in case of floods.

During the community walk, the barangay official then showed us the different spaces in the area: he first showed the evacuation sites, three of which being: the basketball court, located right beside the barangay hall, a grade school called Paaralang Elementarya ng Balanti, and the San Isidro Labrador Parish, which is currently under renovation.

San Isidro Labrador Parish

Paaralang Elementarya ng Balanti and their evacuation plan

Covered Basketball Court

Hazadous areas in the contrary, is the creek which does not properly have a concrete barrier surrounding the area.

During the walk, I also discovered water pumps and desilting, and rainwater catchment projects in order to further improve the flood management in the barangay

Water pump

Rainwater catchment facility project

Desilting project

During this activity, I was able to reflect on how disastrous and how much of a prominent issue floods are not only in the barangay, but in the entirety of the Philippines, Without proper implementations and practices, there is a greater risk of our condition worsening. However, these projects are still not sufficient enough in preventing floods from occurring if us, individuals are not doing our part in the community. Simple actions such as following the 3Rs and performing proper waste management is already a big step in alleviating the problem as long as everyone in the community participates.