Typhoon drills needed

We urge local government units anew to conduct regular typhoon and flood drills in their schools and communities. We also call on local officials to use early warning devices that can help warn residents of urgent evacuation measures and thus save countless lives.

If we can conduct earthquake drills in schools and offices, why shouldn't we conduct typhoon and flood drills when these are our most frequent disasters? We are ravaged by at least twenty typhoons a year, and each year we see the same story of devastation and loss. Schools and communities ought to be prepared for such occurrences to minimize casualties, if not completely avoid it.

We also urged LGUs to adopt the use of sirens, bells, or other early warning devices that can be used to warn communities of rising waters and the need to evacuate. The use of sirens to alert people of rising waters should be mandatory, as should be the propagation and adoption of evacuation procedures. These systems have already been tested in small pockets around the country, with some using public-private partnerships to make such systems work. We should educate our residents on these life-saving measures--especially children--because they are usually the ones who are usually most vulnerable in these situations.