DAVAO ORIENTAL — A preemptive evacuation for humans and animal has been simulated in two flood-prone communities in San Isidro town on September 5, 2019.

Spearheaded by the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), a total of 348 individuals from barangay Cambaleon and La Union evacuated to safer grounds, bringing with them their livestock, poultry, and pets.

PRC National Project Officer Gilbert Tampos said that the simulation exercise is under the agency’s ongoing project, the Forecast Based Financing which aims to lessen the damages of calamities on high-risk areas.

“Forecast Based Financing is an early action doing three days lead time or lead time period before the disaster. In disaster response, people were used to prepare and then wait for the impact of disaster before responding. But for this one, we are going to take preemptive actions days before the disaster. We are aiming for less damages,” Tampos said.

In coordination with the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), its Municipal and Barangay counterpart, the MDRRMO and BDRRMO, the residents were mobilized to evacuate themselves and their livestock days before the landfall of a typhoon. The animals that were evacuated include carabaos, horses, cows, pigs, chicken, and dogs.

The Bureau of Fire Protection also participated in the said event.

According to Dr. Eric Dagmang, the Provincial Veterinarian, many livestock have been killed lately in a flooding incident in Barangay La Union, prompting the Provincial Government to take actions.

“Based on our previous experience, the residents won’t leave their houses even during forced evacuation because they don’t want to leave the animals and their livelihood behind. However, animals have drowned in a flooding that occurred here in Barangay La Union last June that is why the PDRRMO recommended to conduct simulation exercises here on animal evacuation. So, it is not only the humans that we have to evacuate, but also their livestock. The main purpose is to save lives and properties,” Dr. Dagmang said.

During the activity, free vaccination, vitamins, and forage were given to the animals from the Provincial Veterinarian’s Office. They also facilitated the building of livestock corral done by residents who were hired under the PRC’s cash-for-work. Abbey Paradan, PRC-Davao Oriental Chapter’s Focal Person on Forecast Based Financing, said that the cash-for-work is one of the early action protocols in activating Forecast Based Financing.

“We have set a scenario that a super typhoon is going to hit the Philippines, that is why we activated Forecast Based Financing. When it is activated, we have to perform the early action protocols. Here in Davao Oriental, the early action protocols identified are shelter strengthening, animal evacuation and cash-for-work. So those who volunteered to build the corral will be paid with cash,” Paradan said.

Evacuees at the evacuation site were served with hot meals. They were also given food packs by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO).

One evacuee said he appreciates the effort of the government in capacitating them the necessary knowledge in case of disasters. He said he is not only responsible for the safety of his family and livestock but also with other people’s lives being a Purok Chairman.

“This event is really important for us because it is also my responsibility to tell my neighbors to evacuate. So, in case the calamity really hits our barangay, our families, as well as our livestock, are safe at the evacuation site,” said Pablito Agua in vernacular, a resident in Barangay La Union.

“This undertaking of the government is really a big help for us to know what we should do during disasters,” another resident, Ofemia Mejos, said in vernacular. “I always advice my neighbors to take heed of the early warning issued by the authorities if they wanted to be safe,” she added.

Meanwhile, Tampos said that together with the technical working group from the national and regional level, they will present to the local government the guidelines of the project which they will craft after the simulation exercises.

“We want the LGUs, the community and then the province to have this ownership in this kind of drill because this is not only an effort of the PRC, it is a collaboration effort between the LGU and the provinces and also for the regional office. So, we will lobby to the local government how effective Forecast Based Financing is to areas that are prone to disasters,” Tampos said. Photos by Rhea Shane Laureano