November 29 ------ The Philippines must bring back its comprehensive flood alert system that helped avert some 15 disasters from 2014 to 2016 to avoid a repeat of the onslaught of Typhoons Rolly and Ulysses, a disaster scientist said Tuesday. Interviewed on “Quarantined with Howie Severino,” University of the Philippines (UP) professor Dr. Mahar Lagmay said a flood alert system was used by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) from 2014 to December 2016.
The “hazards-specific, area-focused, and time-bound” warning system gave authorities an idea of possible flooding scenarios in advance. “Natukoy mo 'yung hazard, natukoy mo 'yung mga lugar and barangays, natukoy mo 'yung time kung kailan siya darating. At bago pa dumating 'yun, because at very least, you're given 3-6 hours, that's enough time to get the people out of their houses,” Lagmay said. “That kind of barangay level na near real-time information… I didn't see that during Ulysses. I didn't see that during Vinta. I didn't see that during Ompong. I didn't see that during Rosita. I didn't see that during Urduja and Usman,” he added.
Lagmay stressed the need for the flood alert system to be brought back “because if not, we will be seeing people on rooftops in Cagayan and Marikina.” He acknowledged that the NDRRMC notifies the public of threats through text alerts, but said these may cause the “cry wolf effect.” “If you keep on receiving that at 2 o'clock or 3 o'clock in the morning, people will become desensitized. Ang tawag diyan sa Disaster Science community ay ‘cry wolf effect.’ Parang nauumay 'yung mga tao and the next time that it happens, when it really happens, they didn't believe in it anymore,” he said.
Lagmay stressed that the “ideal” response is still to revive the flood alert system. “But papaano natin gagawin 'yun? So babalik tayo ngayon doon sa tanong, pakinggan natin ang siyensiya.” Lagmay was the executive director of Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards), the country’s main disaster risk reduction and management program shut down by the government in 2017. The project was continued by UP. In a meeting last February 23, 2017 the UP Board of Regents approved the establishment of a "Project NOAH Center" in the UP System.
Source: gmanetwork.com