Taguig City steps up preparations as Typhoon ‘Ompong’ intensifies

Secure billboards, ad signages and heavy equipment, building owners told

 

The Taguig City government has stepped up preparations as Typhoon Ompong entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Wednesday.

 

ER Palima, officer-in-charge of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said boats, trucks and other rescue vehicles have already been prepositioned for the rescue, and preemptive and forced evacuations of affected Taguigeños.

 

Vests, ropes, cutters, shovels, megaphones and other pertinent items are also ready.

 

Eugene Bilaw, officer-in-charge of the city’s Solid Waste Management Office, said that even if cleaning operations of creeks has been ongoing once a week—daily for the Lake and River Management Office — heavy equipment used to dredge these have also been placed on standby.

 

Evacuation centers that will house affected Taguigeños are also ready, with the tents to be used there already prepositioned, Nikki Rose Operario, officer-in-charge of the City Social Welfare Development Office, said. The city government has also prepositioned 1,000 food packs.

 

She said her office was also preparing an additional 1,000 food packs should there be a need to distribute more.

 

“Each food pack usually contains rice, canned goods and noodles,” she said.

 

According to Operario, the food packs are apart from the blankets, water, energy biscuits and hygiene kits affected residents receive. Each hygiene kit, she said, contains a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo and a small towel.

 

“We are more than ready,” Operario said.

 

According to Palima, in preparation for the typhoon, the primary people on the ground are already on standby.

 

These include a 7-man Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Management team in each of the city’s 28 barangays and the additional 65 individuals who will serve as augmentation forces for the existing rescue teams.

 

Personnel from the Traffic Management Office (TMO) will also monitor the situation of roads, he said.

 

“Our traffic enforcers are always ready for emergency deployment and possible rescue operations,” TMO officer-in-charge Danny Cañaveral said.

 

Local Utility Office (LUO) head Ed Ronquillo also explained that they have already trimmed branches of big trees and fixed bundling of electrical wires to minimize road accidents in case of strong winds brought by the typhoon. In addition, the LUO also made sure that control panels for streetlights are checked, maintained and secured.

 

Apart from this, the Taguig City local government also issued a memorandum to all building owners and locators in the city directing them to secure all billboards, advertising signages and heavy equipment like cranes as these could pose dangers to the public with strong winds and heavy rains anticipated for the weather disturbance.

 

“We want to encourage everyone to please remain calm and to continue praying for everyone’s safety. Rest assured that the city is doing its best to keep every Taguigeño safe in times of calamities,” said Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano.

 

“Sa panahon ng bagyo, walang maiiwang Taguigeño,” the lady mayor added. ###

 

FILIPINO VERSION

Paghahanda pinaigting sa Taguig sa pagdating ng Bagyong ‘Ompong’

Mga may-ari ng business establishment, billboard, ad signages sinabihang isiguro ang kaligtasan

 

Itinaas ng lokal na pamahalaan ng Taguig City ang paghahanda para sa nakatakdang pagdating ng Bagyong “Ompong.”

 

Ayon kay ER Palima, officer-in-charge ng City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, nakahanda na ang mga bangka, truck at iba pang rescue vehicles kung sakaling may maganap na sakuna sa paghagupit ng bagyong “Ompong.”

 

Ang mga vest, lubid, cutters, pala, at megaphones ay ikinalat na rin sa mga rescue personnel.

 

Sinabi naman ni Eugene Bilaw, officer-in-charge ng Taguig Solid Waste Management Office, na maging ang kanyang mga tauhan ay patuloy na nagsasagawa cleaning operations ng mga creek isang beses sa isang linggo –samantalang ang Lake and River Management Office naman ay araw-araw itong isinasagawa.

 

Ang mga heavy equipment ay naka-standby na rin upang paghandaan ang mga mangyayari sa mga susunod na araw.

 

Nakahanda na rin ang mga evacuation center kung sakaling may mga residente ng Taguig na maapektuhan ng bagyo.

 

Nakaposisyon na rin ang mga tent na tutuluyan ng mga evacuees, ayon kay Nikki Rose Operario, officer-in-charge ng City Social Welfare Development Office. Meron na rin 1,000 food packs ang nakahanda para sa mga pamilyang maaapektuhan ng sakuna.

 

Ayon pa kay Operario, meron pang naka-ambang na karagdagang 1,000 food packs kung sakaling maraming tao ang mangangailangan.

 

“Bawat food pack ay naglalaman ng bigas, delata at noodles,” saad pa niya.

 

Dagdag pa ni Operario na ang mga food packs ay bukod pa sa mga kumot, tubig, energy biscuits at hygiene kits na ipinamimigay sa mga apektadong residente.

 

Bawat hygiene kit ay naglalaman ng toothbrush, toothpaste, sabong pampaligo, shampoo at small towel.

 

“Handang-handa po ang lungsod sa ganitong klase ng pagkakataon,” Operario said.

 

Ang mga rescue personnel ay naka-standby na kung saan kasama rito ang 7-man Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Management team sa bawat 28 barangay sa lungsod, kasama pa ang karagdagang 65 katao na katuwang ng mga kasalukuyang rescue team.

 

Maging ang mga tauhan ng Traffic Management Office (TMO) ay nananatiling naka-monitor sa kalsada ng syudad.

 

“Nakahanda na rin maging ang ating traffic enforcers sa mga emergency situation at rescue operation,” saad ni TMO officer-in-charge Danny Cañaveral.

 

Paliwanag ni Local Utility Office (LUO) head Ed Ronquillo na ang mga sanga ng kahoy na inaasahang masisira sa hagupit ng bagyo ay inalis na rin maging ang mga kable at poste ng kuryente ay siniguro nang hindi magiging sagabal sa tao at mga motorista.

 

Naglabas na rin ang Taguig City local government ng memorandum sa lahat ng building owners at negosyante sa syudad na nagsasabing siguruhin na maayos at ligtas ang kapaligiran kasama na ang lahat ng billboards, advertising signages at heavy equipment kagaya ng cranes na maaaring mahagupit ng malakas na hangin.

 

“Nais po ng pamahalaang lokal na maging ligtas ang bawat isa, maging kalmado at handa. Hinihikayat ko rin ang lahat na magdasal para sa ating kaligtasan. Umasa po ang lahat na ginagawa ng lungsod ang lahat upang maging ligtas ang lahat sa pagdating nga bagyo,” wika ni Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano.

 

“Sa panahon ng bagyo, walang maiiwang Taguigeño,” saad pa ni Mayor Lani. ###