President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has urged Filipinos to be more prepared for disasters following the series of strong earthquakes that affected different parts of the country recently.
In his vlog titled ‘Handa sa Sakuna’ (Ready for Disasters) on Sunday, the President noted that beyond disaster response and recovery, disaster preparedness should become second nature to Filipinos.
‘Disasters are part of our country’s reality, that is why disaster preparedness should also be part of who we are,’ he said.
‘We should not only respond to disasters but also learn from the lessons each one brings. The new Filipino is wiser and more prepared,’ Mr. Marcos added. Plan, coordinate among family members
The President urged every household to create a disaster plan and ensure that all members, especially children, were aware of it.
This includes identifying evacuation areas, meeting points, and safe zones.
Prepare go-bags
Mr. Marcos also advised families to prepare a ‘go-bag’ – an emergency kit containing essential documents, canned food, biscuits, water, first aid supplies, medicines, hygiene kits, flashlight, whistles, lighters, radios, and emergency cash.
‘When disaster strikes and your family needs to evacuate, you won’t have to panic and scramble for what to bring, because everything is inside the go-bag,’ he said.
Listen to authorities
The president stressed the importance of getting accurate information during emergencies.
He advised the public to listen only to official announcements from government agencies, local government units, law enforcement agencies and reputable news organizations.
‘Beware of fake news. In the recent earthquakes in Davao and Cebu, many were misled by false information, and some were hurt because they panicked and fled unnecessarily,’ the President warned.
President Marcos assured Filipinos that the national and local governments are continuously improving disaster response capabilities.
‘The DSWD and even local government units have food packs and go-bags ready and prepositioned in our warehouses,’ he said.
‘The communication and information drive of government agencies has also been strengthened to further educate our citizens,’ the President added.
He also called on government regulators to ensure that the policies on the construction of all infrastructure projects ‘must be strictly followed and implemented with full integrity.’ /mr