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discerningdisasters-blog · 5 years ago

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Welcome to Brgy. San Isidro!

My Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Management (BDRRM) kwentuhan with Mr. Benjamin Canillas Jr., assistant to the secretary, was conducted in the pleasant afternoon of December 6, 2019. We discussed about the disasters that can happen in Barangay San Isidro of Cainta, Rizal. I realized that there are disasters in the barangay that are highly preventable, it is just that people are lacking discipline. There may be shortcomings on the part of the local government, but we should also take the initiative to not let disasters happen. Because they are natural disasters, they happen on their own and will affect everyone so it is inevitable that we should plan ahead according to our living conditions to minimize the risks disasters bring with them. My walk around the community with my mother is a good way to conclude the discussion. There I realized that the government and the people really need to team up for the betterment of the barangay. It should be in the government’s best interest to make safety a top priority even before catastrophes happen. After all, it is called Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Management because it is a management that reduces risks from disasters in a barangay. So to the residents of Barangay San Isidro, and to Filipinos in general, I hope this blog becomes of great help to you to ensure your safety and your barangay’s too in times of calamities.

Barangay San Isidro, in Cainta, Rizal, covers a land area of 2,158.9 hectares. It is about 6 kilometers from the center of Cainta where there is the balcony of the town. In the east there is the Barangay Mayamot of Antipolo City. In the west, Barangay Sto. Niño of Marikina City can be found. While in the north, it is bordered by Concepcion II in Marikina City and in the south one can find Barangay Sto. Domingo, also in Cainta, Rizal.

Creeks that easily get overflowed when it rains pose a danger of flooding. We have complete and working drainage canal but since such creeks are full of garbage, this a reason to invite floods in our area. Aside from lack of discipline from the residents, not having proper garbage disposal places contribute to the clog-inducing garbage. Floods affect the livelihood of people and those that live in low-lying places. During storms, our barangay relies on PAGASA for weather updates so we can prepare accordingly. It is crucial that our barangay be one of the first to know because our barangay is in Cainta, a low area, making it a catch basin of flood water from the high-lying grounds around. As everyone knows, earthquakes can’t be predicted so no early warnings can be disseminated to the community. But since we are located near the Marikina/Valley Fault System, we can be affected in case an earthquake stems from this fault line. It also happens that the soil where our barangay stands is soft. Soft soils amplify ground shaking. If one lives in an area that in past earthquakes suffered shaking stronger than that felt in other areas at comparable distance from the source, he is likely to experience relatively strong shaking in future earthquakes as well.

Here is a table included in Barangay San Isidro’s BDRRM Plan that shows how vulnerable it is to the disasters it can experience.

Twenty percent of houses in the barangay are made from light materials, making their inhabitants easily lose their homes even if a disaster is relatively low impact. Forty percent of houses here are close to the neighboring house, touching each other’s walls. This presents a problem during earthquakes where there can be a domino effect of casualties in the entire neighborhood. People have few alternative livelihoods here so it would be difficult to get up again after a disaster when one cannot utilize other forms of livelihood in case he can’t go back to his own for a temporary amount of time.

We have an Early Warning System (EWS) that according to the BDRRM, is easy to understand by the residents about what disasters are about to come. We even have an EWS for PWDs and other vulnerable groups such as children and senior citizens. The popular Filipino trait, “bayanihan system” is very evident in our barangay in times of great need because we go out of our way just to help others so everyone can be given their physiological needs and social support too. We listen to our barangay officials and persons of authority so we know what to do before, during, and after a disaster. The barangay officials enforce the Manila Clean-up Drive which happens every Saturday in all creeks of the barangay. This is a good way to reduce the level of flooding when it rains. But because there are people who need to know discipline, creek cleaners are always greeted by a new batch of trash every Saturday, signaling the need for stricter policies in the community.

Our barangay has safe spaces and people who aid in achieving safety. We have 13 covered courts or gymnasiums, thereby promoting the importance of physical health as it an asset in times of disasters when physical strength aids in survival. We have 1 multi-purpose building that can house relief goods before they are given away to those in need. There are 22 evacuation centers and in addition to that, there are barangay halls and 9 public schools that can be utilized as temporary shelters for the victims of disasters especially flooding. We have 1 private hospital and 4 barangay health centers that can accommodate those who are injured or in critical condition when disaster strikes. They can provide medications for leptospirosis in times of floods and for the injured when raging waters carry with it things that can hit and wound a person. For safety from the disaster itself, there are 5 trained emergency response teams in our barangay, and 10 trained BDRRM operations center and trained personnel. The houses of informal settlers pose a danger to the informal settlers themselves in times of storms when the strong wind would blow away their light-weighted houses, becoming a threat to them in losing their shelters and a threat to others who might get hit by the drifting materials. Creeks also pose a danger when they overfill and cause flooding because of their clogging garbage.

It is apparent that Barangay San Isidro needs help when it comes to storms, floods, and earthquakes that’s why the local government has taken steps to address these issues. There is always room for improvement and because the barangay still experiences high impact from disasters, the local government can improve and implement policies. The clean-up drive, for example, can involve the whole community so we can see the true state of our creeks and then there would be lesser or no more littering the next time the clean-up drive will be held. Housing projects can be implemented for the informal settlers because houses made from light materials can easily get blown away by the strong winds of storms. Not just for lessening the number of casualties, but such houses are also a sign of kindness from the government. For now, earthquakes cannot be detected so we should be prepared anytime. Infrastructures should be the focus of the government when it comes to this to somehow reduce casualties because the land where the barangay stands is a soft soil.

It is always good to learn more and be aware of the disaster situation of the country, not just my barangay. Storms can greatly affect my barangay because some have poorly built houses. In the whole country, informal settlers are rampant and an issue. It is hard for them to recuperate their homes after a storm. Even with assistance from the government, life will never be the same for a family to go and find another home even if they are used to it, being informal settlers. The country has issues with proper garbage disposal, just as my barangay has issues with it. Flooding now becomes a problem even with just rains brought by southwest monsoon or Habagat. The typhoons that habagat brings, unfortunately, cause millions, sometimes billions, worth of reconstruction damage and kill hundreds of Filipinos. Earthquakes are a concern of our barangay because of its proximity to a fault line. The whole country itself is cautious about earthquakes because it is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire. The majority of Earth’s volcanoes and earthquakes take place along the Ring of Fire. Ninety percent of Earth’s earthquakes occur along its path, including the planet’s most violent and dramatic seismic events. Being in the Ring of Fire, extra vigilance is expected from residents of Barangay San Isidro and citizens of the Philippines.

Disasters. We know about them. But why do we need to? We need to know about them because it is part of reducing losses acquired from them. When you know what a flood is, when and how it happens, you are pretty much equipped when an actual flood affects you. When you also know the preparations that have to be made, the actions that you must take up when the waters come raging, and the plans on how to recover be it for your shelter or livelihood, you can survive floods with minimal risks experienced. The same process goes to all the other calamities that can occur out there. Keep in mind that it is always better to be prepared than suffer the consequences.

Looking at a larger scale, the country should address the disasters it is experiencing. But how? Policy makers can make sure that risks are lowered through making laws that are targeted towards the prevention of disasters. For the people, prevention can be in the form of conducting seminars, handing out prepared kits to be used during disasters, and clean up drives that involve the whole community that instill a sense of discipline so they can know the state of their place and be more cautious the next time they do something, such as disposing of trash improperly, that can lead to disaster. Ecobricks can be made from trash and it also helps the homeless too for they can be used to build houses. An ecobrick is a 500ml to 1.5L sized plastic bottle tightly filled with plastic trash until it becomes almost as hard as a brick. For the surroundings, the creating or reinforcing of infrastructures can be utilized. Drainage canals are, well, for draining flood water, but they can’t do so if they don’t pass architectural and engineering standards. For the environment, policy makers should see to it that trees are utilized. Trees can reduce flood water by up to 20%. It may not be much, but it definitely helps. Besides, trees have other benefits such as providing clean air and adding to the aesthetic value of a place. We can have more trees around us if each one of us plants some. Not all seedlings become trees and so it greatly helps if everyone takes part in this so we can have a significant contribution to the environment.

Here are planned activities for the tree-planting activity and ecobrick-making.

“Flooding is preventable. Through trees, it’s feasible!”

1. Schools can organize tree-planting activities for students. Since it takes a long time for trees to grow, the next batch of students should take care of the planted trees and at the same time, plant their own trees.

2. Social media influencers can be tapped to create their own “challenge” regarding tree-planting so their followers can be motivated to participate.

3. Whenever one passes by a plot of land with seedlings or saplings, he must water them as he sees it fit.

“Houses made from rubbish. Don’t be fooled, they’re sturdy!”

1. The creation of ecobricks. People are to bring them to drop off points for ecobricks where they can earn certificates and tokens after reaching a certain amount.

2. People can post on social media the ecobricks they made and make it a competition about who can make the most in a month.

3. Houses made of ecobricks will be erected for the homeless. Other structures can be built too but the creation of such houses is the top priority.

References

Harrabin, R. (2016, March 11). Tree planting 'can reduce flooding'. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-35777927.

National Geographic Society. (2019, April 5). Ring of Fire. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/ring-fire/.

Scotty’s Action Sports Network. (n.d.). The two seasons in the Philippines: Amihan and Habagat. Retrieved from https://www.divescotty.com/underwater-blog/amihan-habagat-monsoon.php.

U.S. Geological Survey. (n.d.). Soil Type and Shaking Hazard in the San Francisco Bay Area. Retrieved from https://earthquake.usgs.gov/hazards/urban/sfbay/soiltype/.

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