City Camp folks urged: Mind waste to prevent flooding

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio Domogan urged residents in the city to strictly observe waste disposal rules to avoid contributing to the city’s flooding problem especially at the City Camp basin.

The mayor tasked the heads of the barangays surrounding the major drainage canals at City Camp and San Roque to educate and repeatedly remind their constituents to dispose their garbage properly after noting that the indiscriminate throwing of refuse continues to cause the clogging of the drainage openings and canals which if unchecked will result to flooding during heavy rains and typhoons.

The mayor said the city has made a big headway in dredging the City Camp drainage passageway to minimize the flooding in the area while the city engineer’s office has been maintaining the declogging of waterways, canals and drainage system all over the city.

He however warned that if the residents will not cooperate and will not mind their waste disposal habits then the efforts of the city will be wasted and flooding will remain to be a problem.  

At the same time, the mayor called on the contractors undertaking road improvement projects in the city to ensure that safety measures are always in place to avoid any danger and inconvenience to the public.   

He said he particularly asked the city engineering office and the Baguio City District Engineering Office to make sure that contractors provide at all times safety warning signs, flag men to help in ensuring smooth traffic flow and most importantly to follow their time table.

As to the city’s general preparations for the typhoon season, the mayor said the different offices have their usual contingency measures to minimize if not prevent casualties and damages.

According to the mayor, these offices should by now be ready with their emergency measures in the event of massive devastation and the city’s isolation due to typhoons to ensure enough food supply, evacuation centers, effective rescue operations, infrastructure restoration and other needs.

The mayor again reminded residents living in landslide-prone and critical areas to exercise precaution and evacuate the area before the calamity strikes for their own safety.

The City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council operations center will be on hand  to respond to emergency situations.  Their hotlines are 442-1900-1905.

The evacuation and relief operations will be spearheaded by the city social welfare and development office and other agencies.  

The city health office is also on guard for the outbreak of rainy day-related diseases.

For the suspension of classes, the Department of Education rules remain in which classes in the kindergarten level will be suspended upon the lowering of storm signal number 1.  Storm signal number 2 would mean suspension of classes in kindergarten, elementary and high schools and signal number 3 would mean no classes in all levels. 

The mayor has the discretion of suspending classes in any level regardless of typhoon signals during inclement weather that poses health and safety risks to students.