Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte expresses concern on the onset of subsequent typhoons that hit the country last week during a meeting with local government agencies. (Photo by SARAH JANE R. HILOMEN)

DAVAO CITY – Wary of the onset of subsequent typhoons that might hit the country just like last week, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte calls on the public to work together in mitigating the effects of a disaster.

“Stop blaming the garbage and start preparing. This is a collective responsibility. With our limited resources, we must do a collective effort in responding to nature’s havoc,” he said.

With this, Duterte called on various local government agencies here last Friday for a general meeting on disaster preparedness and concerns.

Duterte disclosed that this move was made to prepare for unpredictable weather conditions.

“What if the typhoon makes a U-turn just like what happened to the city in the 1960s? We have to be prepared to mitigate and minimize the loss of lives not just property,” he said.

He also expressed concern on the city’s capacity to handle the amount of precipitation that the typhoons could bring. “Now, this is not a question of typhoon but of precipitation. Kung gaano kataas ang tubig na dala ng bagyo because with that kind of inundation, we can hardly cope up,” he said.

As this developed, the mayor urged all villages chieftains and the police to be in close coordination.

“It is mandatory for barangay captains and the police to coordinate with each other because they are the first line of defense,” Duterte said.

He also advised barangay captains to study the measures on how to mitigate the situation. “Identify low-lying areas in your barangay and look for possible evacuation areas. Be posted on what’s happening,” he said.

Recalling the city’s past experiences during times of calamity, Duterte suggested one of the most important gadgets that each village must possess to respond to emergency situations. “Each barangay must have ropes. It is most useful in whatever situation, either to hold people together during flashfloods or get stranded people to safety,” he said, adding that flashlights and inflatable rubber tires must always be available.

In a related development, Verner Monsanto, chief of Central 911 Emergency Response Unit, disclosed that the city has 14 inflatable rubber and fiber boats. However, only nine of these are serviceable.

Duterte assured that the city government will allocate budget to upgrade and purchase additional emergency equipment.

But the city chief executive warned that any neglect of duties of both the village chieftains and the police will have corresponding sanctions. “If you will fall short of official duties, I will file charges against you,” Duterte said.