BAGUIO CITY — Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong of this city said he wants early preparations for the La Niña weather pattern, setting in motion initiatives in the face of above-normal rainfall expected to follow the long-drawn drought caused by El Niño.
“With the experience that we are having with El Niño where we are now into our seventh month of drought, weather experts fear a possible rebound through the coming La Niña which would mean strong typhoons and abnormally high rainfall and so we have to prepare this early to avoid casualties and severe damage to properties,” the mayor said over the weekend.
Under its “Making Cities Resilient (MCR) 2030” program, the Baguio city government has an outline of initiatives to combat looming climate change risks, he said.
In terms of infrastructure preparations, the rehabilitation and clean-up of drainage and water ways and slope protection fixtures are underway.
Barangays are also being prepared through continuing capacity building and information education and communication programs, said Mr. Magalong.
Barangay officials recently participated in a series of seminars on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation to prepare their barangay response teams conducted by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office under Engr. Charles Bryan Carame.
The mayor said emergency response will be fortified with the introduction of the “orange bag” project where barangays will be required to keep ready emergency tools in attending to emergency situations especially during calamities. — Artemio A. Dumlao
