By DIANN IVY CALUCIN
The Malabon City government conducted on Monday, Sept. 26, clearing operations after the families who took shelter in evacuation centers due to Super Typhoon Karding were allowed to return to their homes.
The local government said that the 107 evacuated families began going back to their homes on Monday morning as the typhoon weakened.
Members of the City Environment & Natural Resources Office (CENRO), Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRM), and City Engineering Department started hauling debris, declogging gutters, and cutting broken branches in some barangays to ensure the safety of communities.
Malabon City Mayor Jeannie Sandoval coordinated with the Malabon City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MCDRRMC) to ensure that the evacuated residents were provided with immediate assistance, especially those residing in high-risk flood areas and near the waterways.
Sandoval and the members of the City Social Welfare and Development Department (CSWDD) also distributed cooked meals and food packs containing rice, and various grocery items for the evacuees to bring home.
Employees of the City Engineering Department also manned the floodgates and pumping stations to observe the water level of Navotas river.
The local government said barangay officials were mobilized to advise the residents in vulnerable areas to vacate their homes and stay at evacuation sites.
The local government provided 11 evacuation sites with 72 relief shelters that can cater to over 1,000 Malabon residents who needed to take refuge from the super typhoon.
The Tullahan River, tiny creeks, and canals in the city often overflow, putting residents in low areas at risk.
The city government stated that the level of flooding along C-Arellano, Gov. Pascual, P. Aquino, and M.H. Del Pilar streets reached inches.