Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan commended the officers and staff of the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (MDRRMO) under its director, Arnel Angeles, for their "round-the-clock service" to the city and its residents.
In her message at the flag-raising ceremony on Monday morning, October 7, Lacuna-Pangan noted the MDRRMO has been going beyond its designated duties and responsibilities without added compensation or expecting anything in return.
"Gusto ko pong magpasalamat sa pamilya ng MDRRMO sa inyong 24/7 na pagtugon sa lahat-lahat ng pangangailangan ng ating lungsod. Isa po sa pinakamabigat na tungkulin ng ang ginagawa ng MDRRMO... 24/7 po silang naka-antabay sa lahat ng ganap. Lahat ng klase ng sakuna- bagyo, baha, sunog pati aksidente sa daan, sakop na nila kaya nga po sabi ko wala bang kapaguran ang MDRRMO? Wala. Kasi bagama't napakarami nilang responsibilidad ay agaran pa rin nila itong nagagawa. Maraming, maraming, maraming salamat (I want to thank the MDRRMO family for your 24/7 response to all the needs of our city. It's one of the heaviest role of what the MDRRMO is doing... they are watching over everything 24/7. All kinds of disasters- typhoons, floods, fires, even road accidents, they already cover, so I said isn't the MDRRMO tired? They are not. Because although they have a lot of responsibility, they still get it done immediately. Thank you very very very much)," Lacuna-Pangan said.
The mayor added that, even in monitoring the weather, the MDRRMO also does not stop to update the city government to know which action to take and if it is necessary or not to suspend the class.
During typhoons, she disclosed that Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) updates MDRRMO every three to four hours at 5 a.m., 11 a.m., and 2 p.m., which she and Director Angeles always look forward to to prevent delays in class suspension announcements.
Lacuna-Pangan also cited the MDRRMO for being the first responders in emergency cases where people need to be rescued due to typhoon or massive floods especially in the areas of Baseco, Isla Puting Bato and Parola as well during incidents of fire.
"Hindi po nila iniisip ang sarili nilang kaligtasan. Para po sa kanila, mas importante ang buhay ng iba, bago sa kanila. saludo po kami sa inyo (They don't think about their own safety. For them, the lives of others are more important than their own. We salute you)," she said.