MALOLOS CITY—Local government units in Bulacan are rushing to prepare their own emergency action plans (EAP) in preparation for the staging of a series of localized dam break drill this year.
The preparation came after the successful earthquake and dam break drill led by the provincial government last December. Felicisima Mungcal, head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), said the towns of Calumpit and Norzagaray along with this historic city are now preparing their localized EAPs.
“There will be no cut and paste EAP, because every town and city has a different topography and concerns,” Mungcal said in an interview. She stressed that EAPs are important factors in disaster preparedness. The same was echoed by Jojo Tomas, the disaster and risk reduction management officer of Calumpit.
He said that during disaster, panic and disorder are likely to occur which LGUs must give with a quick response. “We will have our disaster orientation this month, along with the preparation of EAP,” said Tomas, adding that they are now targeting barangay officials, especially those newly elected and appointed.
Tomas said that after the barangay elections, many of barangay officials who were trained in disaster preparedness did not seek re-election because of the three term restriction. “We have to start fresh and we have to improve,” he said referring to the planned development of EAP in relation to any possible Angat Dam break.
The same was affirmed by Mayor Christian Natividad of this city who noted that in the past two years, Malolos was inundated by floods brought by heavy monsoon rains. “We must have a concrete plan of action in case of another disaster,” he said and added that they will also convene barangay officials this month.
Earlier, Gov. Wilhelmino Alvarado said that it is mandatory for LGUs in the province to prepare local EAP and conduct their town dam break drills. He said that in case of a magnitude 7.2 earthquake, Angat Dam might be breach and 10- to 30-meter deep water will rush down to at least 20 towns in the province.
Alvarado said that such scenario could cause loss of thousands of lives and billions worth of property.
Concerns over possible dam break was fi rst raised in 2009 when Dr. Renato Solidum of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology ahd Seismology (Phivolcs) disclosed that the West Marikina Valley Faultline is just 200 meters
east of the Angat Dam dike.
