Aklan disaster measures helped save lives

MANILA, Philippines - Local leaders and residents of disaster-prone communities may learn some lessons from Aklan, which was among the provinces directly hit by Super Typhoon Yolanda but registered among the lowest casualties.

Aklan Gov. Florencio Miraflores and Rep. Teodorico Haresco said simple and practical preparations helped minimize casualties to only 11 dead even if most houses in the province were either destroyed or damaged by Yolanda.

Of the fatalities, three died in the hospital due to heart attack, they said.

“This is not even one percent of the total affected persons, which we determined to be about 447,000, in 338 barangays,” Haresco said. “We followed the instructions of the President to prepare if even our province is poor.”

He said the disaster preparedness strategy of the provincial government was to expect and prepare for “one big typhoon per year.”

Miraflores and Haresco said they joined hands to forcefully evacuate residents of coastal barangays, using the local police with loudspeakers. He said the evacuation was expensive but necessary.

“We struck fear in them (residents). We suspended classes one or two days before the typhoon and the teachers told their students to warn their families how strong the coming super typhoon was. With their families complete, they were able to discuss and prepare what to do,” Haresco said.

He said mobile kitchens, initially conceived as a business initiative, were set up in evacuation centers like in the Aklan State University to serve hot meals.