Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte visited the wake of the landslide victims in Davao de Oro as she urged for the implementation of a “robust mapping” system to identify danger zones in municipalities.

Vice President Sara Duterte visits the wake of one of the landslide victims in Davao de Oro. (Inday Sara Duterte/Facebook)

In a statement posted on Facebook, the official shared about his visit to the families of the victims last Jan. 20, two days after the landslide that so far claimed 12 lives in the towns of Monkayo and Maragusan in Davao de Oro.

She lamented how the tragedy caused the lives of the victims, and shared photos of her personally talking with the victims’ families to hear about their grievances.

Duterte then called for the establishment of a “robust mapping” system by the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

“Ang mahalagang hakbang na ito ay makakatulong sa mga residente na makaiwas sa mga mapanganib na lugar sa panahon ng mga bagyo o malakas na pagbuhos ng ulan, kung saan sa huli ay sinisiguro ang kanilang kaligtasan (This important step will help residents to avoid danger zones in times of typhoons or strong rains, which will ensure their safety),” she wrote.

“Ang sistema ng mapping ay napakahalaga dahil ito ay nagbibigay sa ating mga komunidad ng mahahalagang impormasyon tungkol sa mga mapanganib na lugar at potensyal na panganib sa pagguho ng lupa (The mapping system is very important because this gives our communities vital information about danger zones and potential landslides),” she added.

The Vice President enjoined local government units (LGUs) to coordinate better because disseminating proper information will strengthen communities and avoid tragedies.

Aside from the mapping system, the Vice President also underscored the importance of proactive measures like pre-emptive evacuation in hazard-prone areas and asked residents to follow the bulletins issued by the  Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Response Team.

“Nandiyan sila para sa inyo, nakatuon sa pag-gabay at pag-iingat sa inyong kapakanan. Maglaan tayo ng oras upang maging pamilyar sa mga itinalagang evacuation center, tiyaking alamin ang eksaktong masisilungan kapag kinakailangan (They are there for you, focused on guiding and caring for you. Let’s familiarize ourselves with the evacuation centers and ensure that you know where to take shelter if needed),” Duterte said.

The flooding and landslides on Jan. 18 has affected nearly 45,000 families or over 187,000 people in the Davao Region, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) earlier said.