THE CITY Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) will conduct the second River-wide Flood Simulation Exercise (SIMEX) to prepare five flood-prone barangays downstream of the Lipadas River System for possible calamities.
In a statement from the City Information Office, Lyndon Ancajas, CDRRMO Administration and Training Division head, said the five barangays were identified based on the city’s flood hazard map. He said the SIMEX will address the community’s preparedness and cooperation during disasters.
“The main purpose of the SIMEX is for the communities to learn, for them to understand and know how to prepare for major flooding incidents, and during flooding incidents,” Ancajas said.
The SIMEX will be conducted at 2 p.m. on Sept. 21, including Barangay Crossing Bayabas, Marapangi, Lisada, Lubogan, and Sirawan, which are also considered the most affected should the Lipadas River overflow due to heavy rain in the highlands.
Ancajas said a flooding scenario caused by the overflowing of the Lipadas River will be simulated during the exercise.
The SIMEX includes the releasing of the heavy rains advisory, as well as what to do if forced evacuation is imposed.
CDRRMO is also equipped with early warning systems, disaster response mechanisms, ordinances for preemptive evacuation, and trained responders.
Ancajas added that the SIMEX will also help evaluate the city’s flood response capacity, as well as identify aspects that need to be improved.
“Through the SIMEX, we can also identify new strategies for the area. After the exercise, we will review the events so that we can have an idea of the best move or strategy to implement should the Lipadas River overflow,” he said.
The CDRRMO regularly conducts training, orientations, and seminars for disaster preparedness. Every year, starting in 2023, the CDRRMO has been implementing riverwide flood SIMEX every September.
The CDRRMO also continues to remind Dabawenyos that disaster preparedness is “a shared responsibility among the citizens.”
