Aquino asks Cabinet to come up with disaster preparedness plan

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III has ordered the Cabinet to draw up a comprehensive disaster preparedness plan in time for the rainy season in June, a Palace official said Friday.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the order came during a Cabinet meeting in Malacanang on Thursday.

The plan may include advisory systems for storm surges and floods to better warn residents about the dangers from a cyclone.

Priority areas of focus include highly vulnerable high-population areas such as Metro Manila; and how to restart the economy after a major disaster.

Making up the Cabinet task group are the secretaries of the Department of National Defense, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, National Climate Change Commission, and the Department of Trade and Industry.

During the Cabinet meeting, Coloma said the proposed advisory systems were presented for storm surges and floods. 

Storm Surge Advisories (SSAs), to be given 48 hours in advance, include: SSA No. 1: a storm surge height of up to two meters, SSA No. 2: up to five meters, SSA No. 3: more than five meters. 

Coloma said the storm surge disaster risk reduction efforts aim to reduce exposure in the coastal areas by implementing "no-build" zones; develop natural barriers and construction of man-made barriers to reduce impact of hazard; and home, building and infrastructure resiliency.

Also proposed was a flood advisory (FA) system that includes: FA No. 1: up to 129 millimeters (mm) rainfall within the next 24 hours, FA No. 2: up to 190 mm rainfall, FA No. 3: up to 240 mm rainfall.

At the Cabinet meeting, Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo and Project NOAH Executive Director Mahar Lagmay presented results of various simulation studies on storm surges, floods, and landslides, using data for the last 50 years to project future trends, Coloma said. (SDR/Sunnex)