The local government unit (LGU) of Valderrama town in this province will prioritize the holding of training on swift water rescue and the purchase of a rubber raft to strengthen its disaster preparedness and response.
Valderrama Mayor Mary Joyce Roquero said in an interview Friday that it was a lesson learned for their LGU when it took several hours before a mother and daughter trapped in the middle of a flash flood in Barangay Canipayan on Sept. 8 were rescued.
The LGU had to call assistance from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) based in this capital town, which is 91 kilometers away from Valderrama.
“I intend to have a meeting with our Municipal DRRMO so that we could prioritize the purchase of a swift rubber raft,” she said.
The mayor added that aside from purchasing a swift rubber raft, their Municipal DRRMO will undergo swift water rescue training.
She said they already recorded previous drowning incidents in the river.
“Our latest drowning incident involved the three school children who were on their way home after getting their modules from their school,” she said.
Meanwhile, the two trapped and rescued individuals are now safely back home, said Antique PDRRMO chief Broderick Train.
The 61-year old mother Imelda Landiga and her daughter 31-year old Lynica Magbanua were about to retrieve their carabao on a mini islet at the center of the Cangaranan River in the said village around 11 a.m. on Wednesday when the flash flood occurred.
They were rescued around 3 p.m. on the same day.
“The mother and daughter except for being hungry and wet were in good health condition that they were also allowed to go home right after their rescue,” he said in an interview Friday.
He also lauded the plan of the Valderrama mayor to strengthen the town’s disaster preparedness and response.
“We have an agreement with the MDRRMOs in the province that they could request for the swift rubber raft if they need it, but it would really be helpful if the LGUs buy their own,” he said.
Source: Philippines News Agency