Caloocan gears up for storms, flood

The Caloocan City government said yesterday it is prepared to deal with emergencies related to storms and floods.

Mayor Enrico Echiverri said he has alerted the local disaster coordinating council to implement its contingency measures when typhoons hit the city.

The Caloocan City Welfare Department has stocked adequate supplies of relief goods in evacuation centers for residents that would be affected by the storm.

He also assured that the city’s rescue team is ready to put its evacuation plans into action once the need arises.

Echiverri has also directed all other departments to prepare their own contingency plans for the rainy season.

Though the city government has been declogging its canals and sewers, he said some low-lying areas — particularly in Dagat-Dagatan — are still vulnerable to flooding because they are below sea level.

The local Environmental Sanitation Services, through its Oplan Linis Estero project, reported an 85 percent drop in flooding in the city. The ESS continues to monitor creeks and waterways in close coordination with the Metro Manila Development Authority.

The mayor said that based on ESS records, some 35.435 kilometers of canals and peripheral waterways in the city have been cleared of debris. – Pete Laude