QC preparing for rainy season

The Quezon City government has mobilized its various departments to ensure that all emergency measures are in place before the onset of the rainy season that may bring flash floods and water-borne diseases.

In a meeting with the city’s department heads, Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said that all flood prone areas in the city must be fully safeguarded before the rainy season.

The mayor issued the directive after hearing reports of various departments, which laid down their plans.

Weather experts announced the other day that the rainy season might start by the end of the month.

"It is during summer that we should tackle these problems," he said.

The mayor directed the environment protection and waste management department to mobilize volunteer workers, street sweepers and residents to conduct a citywide clean-up drive in the waterways of the city.

The city government has been implementing the Sagip Batis program, a major clean-up of major waterways traversing Quezon City. Involved in the annual project are residents living along rivers and creeks, in coordination with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

The Sagip Batis program has been cited by a Japan-based disaster management center as among the sound practices adopted by big cities around the world to prevent massive flooding.

The city engineering office was also directed to finish all road construction and repair works before the rainy days and to make an inventory of all manhole covers and immediately replace those that have been stolen or damaged.

On health concerns, the city health department has intensified its anti-dengue and measles campaign, particularly in Barangay Bagong Pag-asa, where a dengue outbreak was reported last year.

"Proper sanitation and cleanliness play vital roles in the prevention of seasonal diseases," Belmonte said.