Parañaque City Mayor Eric Olivarez has urged the 16 barangay chairmen to build public parks as part of the city’s disaster preparedness program after a strong earthquake hit the Northern Luzon on Wednesday, July 27.
Olivarez explained the parks or public open spaces in the barangays and inside private subdivisions play an important role particularly during disasters such as earthquakes, storms, droughts, floods, and sea level rise.
“Like other countries in Asia, the Philippines is one of the world's most disaster-prone countries. Our islands are regularly being hit by floods, typhoons, landslides, earthquakes, and droughts,” Olivarez pointed out.
According to the mayor, since there are hundreds of private and gated subdivisions in the city, the communities should have more than one access to facilitate evacuations.
“It is necessary to provide open spaces that are easily accessible from all barangays as the first evacuation sites during and post disaster,” Olivarez told barangay chiefs.
The mayor said that out of the 16 barangays in the city, only six had erected public parks for the past three decades. These include the BF Central Park in BF Subdivision; the Sucat People’s Park in Barangay San Dionisio; and the Las Piñas–Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA), also known as the Las Piñas–Parañaque Wetland Park, covering around 175 hectares of wetland ecosystem along Coastal Road.
Olivarez explained these public parks serve as the first evacuation sites when disaster strikes.
He also promised to the barangay chairmen that his administration will allocate millions of funds for the construction of the public parks in their respective jurisdictions.
The mayor added that when disaster strikes, those city parks and open spaces can easily be accessible to the residents.
“Open spaces with no barriers in both cases facilitate resident access during disaster evacuation,” the mayor said.
He pointed out that when a barangay has a public city park and open spaces, it will provide a green place, a protective green belt, and an evacuation place during disaster.
“It will reduce loss of life and property,” Olivarez said.
“The value of public parks is huge. Protecting and increasing natural areas increases home values, keeps people living here, and raises the quality of life,” he explained.