Mayor Tiangco calls for Navoteños' prompt preparation, adequate disaster response during calamities
Navotas City Mayor John Rey Tiangco reminded his constituents on Thursday, July 28, to always be prepared for any disaster and to remain vigilant in times of natural calamities.
Tiangco made the remark during a forum led by the Navotas City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in celebration of this year’s National Disaster Resilience Month.
"Being a coastal city, Navotas is vulnerable to natural disasters. We need to prepare and empower our people through continuous awareness and education campaign," Tiangco said.
"While calamities are fearsome, being caught off guard is more terrifying. We may not know when a disaster will strike, but being prepared helps ensure that lives and properties will be saved,” he added.
The forum was attended by officials from different disaster observation and response agencies and branches of the local government which included the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) Geoscience and Disaster Risk Reduction Communication Specialist Charmaine Villamil, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Public information Unit’s Information and Science Officer Bernard Punzalan, and Bureau of Fire Protection – Navotas Finance Unit Chief SINSP. Glenn Mayugao.
The speakers tackled topics on the monitoring of natural calamities and disaster preparation and response methods.
“Aside from equipping our people with the knowledge on disaster preparedness and safety, we also strive to construct facilities and secure supplies and equipment necessary for effective disaster risk reduction and management,” Tiangco said.
Last Wednesday, the city government inaugurated the staging area for the Navotas Rescue Center in Brgy. NBBS Dagat-dagatan to make the movement of personnel, equipment, and supplies easy and smooth during disasters and other emergencies.
On July 27, a magnitude 7.0-magnitude earthquake shook the province of Abra and various areas in Luzon including Metro Manila.
According to Phivolcs, the earthquake’s epicenter was located northeast of Lagangilang, Abra.
A total of five people died while scores were injured.