Signal level 3 (high alert) is in place for Aurora, Northern Quezon, Polillo Island and Camarines Norte. Alert level 2 has been signaled for Isabela, Nueva Viscaya, Nueva Ecija, Quirino, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, Southern Quezon, Marinduque, Camarines Sur, and Catanduanes.  Metro Manila, Albay, Batangas, Cavite, Bataan, Pampanga, Zambales, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Ifugao, La Union, Benguet, Mt. Province, Illocos Sur, Kalinga, and Cagayan are on Alert Level 1. All residents in all alert levels are advised to take precautionary measures against flashfloods and landslides, while residents in zones with levels 3 and 2 are warned against high waves generated by the typhoon.

Information sourced from:

PAGASA at http://www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/ last updated at 5:00 pm July 13th, 2010.

June 20th: 20,000 residents in Sultan Kudarat are forced to evacuate to higher grounds due to heavy rains and flooding on June 20 Sunday, according to National Disaster Coordinating Council.

This is the third of a series of mass evacuations which started May. Evacuees came from the 10 low-lying villages namely: Bulalo, Salimbao, Calsada, Katuli, Gang, Macaquiling, Limbo, Senditan, Banubo and Mulaog.

Losses in infrastructure and properties amounted to P20 Million.

Background:

On the 26th of May, flash floods ravaged through the 10 villages of Sultan Kudarat and Sultan Mastura, in Northern Maguindanao. The heavy rains lasted from Wednesday until Saturday, flooding the low-lying areas. A total of 55,758 individuals/13,792 families have been reported as being affected. On the 28 May, affected families were evacuated to Dawa Center, Simuay for safety. Fortunately, by the morning of the 29th, the floods had subsided enough to allow the evacuees to return to their homes.  A damages and needs assessment was conducted in the affected areas by the MDCC Sultan Kudarat Team. 15 homes and 40 hectares of agricultural crops were completely destroyed.

Information sourced from:

Dromic Update as of July 2: http://disaster.dswd.gov.ph/viewdata.asp?opendata=may&id=1544

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view/20100620-276659/Floods-displace-20000

National Disaster Coordinating Council Incident Report, updated as of July 8th, 2010 @ 8:00pm

Photo taken from The Mindanao Examiner. http://www.mindanaoexaminer.com/news.php?news_id=20100601064653

With the observation of Disaster Preparedness Month this July, and with the rainy season and La Nina expected until November, CDRC is challenging President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to beef up government’s disaster-preparedness and response systems this early.

“Let’s not wait for the next disaster to hit the Philippines before we reinforce our systems,” CDRC’s Executive Director, Lourdes Louella Escandor said during a gathering on Disaster Risk Reduction in Antipolo City, attended by its network partners all over the country. She emphasized that early preparation is the best solution to natural calamities.

Last year, the Philippines topped the list of countries most frequently hit by natural disasters, as revealed by the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) being maintained by the Belgium-based Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED).

CRED also ranked the Philippines 2nd to China in the top ten list of countries most affected by natural disasters in 2009 with 13.6 million people affected. Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, two of the most devastating typhoons in the country’s history, happened late last year.

Escandor also urged the new administration to fully implement the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 (RA 10121) which was signed into law by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo last May 27 before she stepped down from office.

Under this law, the National Disaster Coordinating Council shall be replaced with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

A Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office shall also be established in every province, city and municipality, and a Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee in every barangay which shall be responsible for setting the direction, development, implementation and coordination of disaster risk management programs within their territorial jurisdiction.

Also under the new law, the Calamity Fund, renamed as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRM Fund), can now be used for disaster risk reduction or mitigation, prevention and preparedness activities. Before this law was passed, the Calamity Fund can only be tapped during emergencies.

Escandor said the challenge to the new administration is to ensure that this law is fully implemented down to the baranggay level.

She added that CDRC, together with its Regional Centers all over the Philippines, have pledged to continue its mission to prepare and equip ordinary people in the communities with knowledge and skills on what to do before, during and after calamities.

She said that it is within CDRC’s core program, which is being funded by one of the biggest welfare institutions in Germany, Diakonisches Werk, to strengthen the capacity of the communities in dealing with disasters.

Since 1996, ABKD has served as a venue for children to show their creativity and artistic talents, as well as express their views and concerns on disaster-related issues.

This year, CDRC is once again inviting children 7 to 12 years old to participate in the contest.

ABKD is divided into two categories. Category A is open to children ages 7 to 9, where they are expected to express their ideas on disaster preparedness on any of the following subjects: typhoons or floods, volcanic eruption or lahar, earthquake, fire, landslide or trash slide, and damage to the environment brought about by mining, logging and other development projects.

Category B is for children ages 10 to 12. Artworks under this category should focus on any of the following subjects: drought, red tide or fish kill, infestation, outbreak of diseases or epidemic, militarization or armed conflict, and climate change.

Artworks (in any medium) should bear drawn on a ¼  illustration board, and must bear a title and a caption, and submitted together with the contestant’s name, age, address, telephone number, school’s name, grade level, and other important information.

Entries must be submitted to CDRC not later than September 8, 2010. For other information, please check ABKD posters in schools and/or any of the DepEd Regional and Division offices, or call 929-9820 / 22.

For details, download: ABKD Contest Mechanics

This is the third of a series of mass evacuations which started May. Evacuees came from the 10 low-lying villages namely: Bulalo, Salimbao, Calsada, Katuli, Gang, Macaquiling, Limbo, Senditan, Banubo and Mulaog.

Losses in infrastructure and properties amounted to P20 Million.

Background:

On the 26th of May, flash floods ravaged through the 10 villages of Sultan Kudarat and Sultan Mastura, in Northern Maguindanao. The heavy rains lasted from Wednesday until Saturday, flooding the low-lying areas. A total of 47, 552 individuals/9388 families have been reported as being affected. On the 28 May, affected families were evacuated to Dawa Center, Simuay for safety. Fortunately, by the morning of the 29th, the floods had subsided enough to allow the evacuees to return to their homes.  A damages and needs assessment was conducted in the affected areas by the MDCC Sultan Kudarat Team. 15 homes and 40 hectares of agricultural crops were completely destroyed.

Information sourced from:

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view/20100620-276659/Floods-displace-20000

National Disaster Coordinating Council Incident Report, updated as of May 29th, 2010 @ 8:00pm

Photo taken from The Mindanao Examiner. http://www.mindanaoexaminer.com/news.php?news_id=20100601064653

As of April 2010, 4,000 dengue cases, 50 percent higher compared to last year, have already been reported, according to Dr. Eric Tayag of the National Epidemiology Center.

In Cavite, the number of dengue cases increased in June.

DENGUE HEMORRHAGIC FEVER is an acute infectious disease transmitted by Aedes aegypti, a day-biting mosquito which breeds in stagnant water.

Surroundings should be kept free from stagnant water, Tayag said.

According to DOH health advisory, signs and symptoms of dengue include: sudden onset of high fever which may last 2-7 days, joint and muscle pain, pain behind the eyes, weakness, skin rashes (tiny red spots), nose bleeding, abdominal pain, vomiting of coffee-colored matter and dark colored stools.

If detected early, dengue can be cured easily. Still, prevention and control is better than cure. DOH has the following tips:

• Cover water drums and water pails at all times to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

• Replace water in flower vases once a week.

• Clean all water containers once a week.

• Scrub the sides well to remove eggs of mosquitoes sticking to the sides.

• Clean gutters of leaves and debris so that rain water will not collect as breeding places of mosquitoes.

• Old tires used as roof support should be punctured or cut to avoid accumulation of water.

• Collect and dispose all unusable tin cans, jars, bottles and other items that can collect and hold water.

For more information, visit http://www.doh.gov.ph/

Information retrieved from:

Department of Health. http://portal.doh.gov.ph/healthadvisories/dengue. June 17, 2010

GMA News. http://www.gmanews.tv/story/191279/doh-warns-vs-dengue-flu-as-rainy-season-nears. May 19, 2010

Flooding results in unhygienic conditions because of water contamination. Water-borne illness is caused by drinking, eating food prepared with, or from exposure of an open wound or body part (such as the eyes, ears, and nose) to contaminated water. Folded cotton reduces contamination. It is, however, not perfect. One such water borne illness is Leptospirosis, contracted from exposure to the urine or skin tissue of an infected animal. Flulike symptoms occur two to twenty-five days after exposure and include headaches, muscle aches, fever, and eye sensitivity. The second phase is a recurrence of the initial symptoms a few days after the symptoms have improved, with some infected individuals developing serious inflammation of nerves. Leptospirosis of the liver and kidneys is known as Weil’s syndrome, which causes a distinct yellowing of the eyes. Antiobiotic treatment is most effective the early in the course of the illness.

Water purification is one way to limit the consumption of contaminated water. Along with coal treatments and boiling of water, pouring water through folded cotton is a form of purification. Cotton purification is best when used simultaneously with other treatments. Using it without other purification processes should be a last resort because these processes are not perfect. To begin, one should use a well washed piece of cotton since the space between fibers is reduced. Fold the cotton into eight layers and cover the mouth of a container while pouring in pre-treated water or collecting surface water. To disinfect, use soap if available and leave in the sun to dry.

Another major concern with the coming rains is the spread of Malaria. This results from the growing number of mosquitoes that reproduce and flourish in moist regions, especially where there is still water.  The most prone areas to malaria infection are rural areas below 600m (1970 ft). The exception to this rule of thumb is on Bohol Island, Borocay Island, Catanduanes Island, and Cebu Island. Subic Bay in particular is a high risk area for infection.

A simple precaution that halves malaria infection is the use of mosquito nets treated with indoor bug spray, such as permethrin.  These insecticide treatments are able to not only kill mosquitoes on contact but repel them, which aids in reducing the presence of infected mosquitoes in the immediate area. There are insecticidal nets that need to be re-treated regularly, while long-lasting insecticidal nets are effective throughout the life of the net.

Contributed by:

Carissa Connelly

Information retrieved from:

http://www.childinfo.org/malaria.html

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr43/en/index.html
http://www.mdtravelhealth.com/destinations/asia/philippines.php
MD Travel Health.com

http://www.medicinenet.com/leptospirosis/article.htm

So what are the risks here in the Philippines? According to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), many areas have been categorized as having sinkholes or hold the potential for sinkhole formation. By conducting Engineering Geological and Geo-hazard Assessments (EGGA) seven barangays in Bohol, namely Poblacion 3, Bool, Mansasa, Cabawan, Tiptip, Dao and Cogon have sinkhole pockets. In Cebu, an island approximately 60-70% composed of limestone has outlined the following barangay’s as having sinkholes: Barangay Talamban and Cabancalan. To date, there appear no immediate risk for the National Capital Region for sinkhole, or sinkhole formation.

The only way to detect if an area is susceptible to sinkhole formation is through core drilling or ground-penetrating radar. Therefore, any and all concerned local government units are urged to conduct EGGA to identify the possible geological hazards that exist within and in adjacent areas of new development.

Information sourced from:

Manila Bulletin: Indino, P.J. Pocket sinkholes seen in Bohol. June 4, 2010

Manila Bulletin: Sinkholes can occur in Cebu – MGB7 geologist. June 6, 2010

It took nearly nine years before the bill is signed into law and is supported by civil society organizations including Citizens’ Disaster Response Center (CDRC). The implementation of the law will now be the responsibility of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, which is empowered with policy-making, coordination, integration, supervision, monitoring and evaluation functions.

The DRRM Law protects the people’s constitutional right to life and property. Property is noted as the determinant of vulnerability and the protection of which requires strengthening the capacity of local partners and the nation’s infrastructure while building local resilience to impacts of climate change: Capacity is the, “combination of all strengths and resources available within a community, society or organization that can reduce the level of risk, or effects of a disaster (DRRM Law, Sec. 3b).”

The DRRM Law moves towards structuring universal standards of humanitarian assistance, such as standard operating procedures on deployment of rapid assessment teams, information sharing and communication systems, along with involvement and participation by all stakeholders. In order for this to be effective, the DRRM Law is coupled with a program within the Government’s development plan which stipulates good governance, transparency and accountability.

The establishment of trust and communication between parties both horizontally and vertically allows for the decentralization of power, resources and responsibilities as well as enlarges the scope for developing “policies and plans and the implementation of actions and measures (DRRM Law, Section 4).”

One policy in place thus far is the establishment of training institutes for preparedness, which is already undertaken by certain civil society groups such as CDRC. This includes education on disaster risk reduction in schools, Sangguniang Kabataan Programs, and for public sector employees. Another step which will be taken for risk reduction and management is the “accreditation, mobilization, and protection of disaster volunteers and National Service Reserve Corps, Civil Service Organizations and the Private Sector (DRRM Law, Sec. 13).”

Also, according to DRRM Law, in a state of calamity the Government will implement a price ceiling on basic necessities in order to ensure affordability.  Thirty percent of the NDRRM Fund is set aside for immediate relief and assistance in the state of calamity with a Quick Response Fund.

Information retrieved from:

http://www.bulatlat.com/main/2009/10/16/ondoy-pepeng-underscore-need-for-%E2%80%98pro-active%E2%80%99-disaster-management-system-says-cdrc/

http://www.ndcc.gov.ph/attachments/045_REPUBLIC%20ACT%20No%2010121%20part%201.pdf

http://www.ndcc.gov.ph/attachments/045_REPUBLIC%20ACT%20No.%2010121%20Part%202.pdf

photo from: www.wowbatangas.com

Taal Volcano has remained on alert level 1 since 23 November 2005. However, due to the recent anomalous changes in monitored parameters such as: the crater temperature, the number of volcanic earthquakes detected per day, and the intensification of steaming activities, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) has increased the level of alert to a level 2. This change to level 2 simply means that the magma inside the volcano is rising which could eventually lead to an eruption.

PHIVOLCS announced to the general public that the Main Crater remains off-limits because hazardous steam-driven explosions may occur, along with the possible build-up of toxic gases. Areas with hot grounds and steam emission such as portions of the Daang Kastila Trail are considered hazardous. PHIVOLCS reminds everyone that the whole Volcano Island is a Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) and permanent settlement within this area is strictly prohibited.  Currently, 9 Batangas towns have been put on alert: Agoncillo, San Nicolas, Sta. Teresita, Laurel, Lemery, Talisay, Tanauan City, Balite and Mataas na Kahoy.

According to the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC), if conditions continue and Taal Volcano is placed on alert level 3, then it will be time for authorities to activate contingency plans and enforce the evacuation of residents.

Information sourced from:

PHIVOLCS Taal Volcano Bulletin 8 June 2010, 8:00 A.M.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer “Taal acting up; Phivolcs raises alert level to 2″. Wednesday June 9, 201, section A17.