Century-old Acacia trees, lamp posts, telephone posts, electrical posts, and power lines. These are only few of the things that were felled by the strong winds brought about by Typhoon Glenda in Ayala Alabang in Muntinlupa. The village was one of the hardest hit areas by the storm and is a reflection of the damage that can be seen all around the country in the aftermath of the storm.
To get a picture of infrastructure recovery the country will embark in, we talked to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio Singson on our back-to-back programs “Kasangga Mo Ang Langit” and “IZ Balita Nationwide” that airs nationwide every 6-8AM on DWIZ 882khz and RPN9 ally stations.
NOT AS STRONG AS PAST DEVASTATING STORMS
According to Sec. Singson, it was a good thing that Glenda wasn’t as strong as typhoons like Ondoy, Pepeng, Pablo, Maring, and Yolanda. This was evidenced by the low number of damaged roads and bridges. This was assessed after the secretary conducted an aerial inspection of areas like Bulacan, Valenzuela, Cavite, and other low-lying portions of the affected provinces. In the meantime, actual road inspection was done in Manila.
In Batangas, a bridge was damaged. Because it isn’t a national road, it is technically not part of DPWH’s jurisdiction. However, this will still be included in the agency’s assessment. In Region 3, three road sections were damaged while there were five in Region 4A.
Portions of Quezon and Bataan, in the meantime, are still awaiting inspection. “According to PAGASA, the 250-kilometer radius was affected. So now we have to check on that,” Sec. Singson said.
FOCUS ON POWER LINES AND ROAD WORKS
“Our problem lies in the power lines. They were heavily damaged by the storm,” said. Sec. Singson. The strong winds caused so much damage to our country’s electrical system as lines were cut and posts were torn down by the sheer strength of Glenda’s winds. It plunged most of the South of Luzon in darkness for several days.
The department is also looking to cover up all the potholes exposed by Glenda through an asphalt overlay. “We need to take the existing overlay and put a new one on,” he said.
Sec. Singson also said that in times of heavy rain and storm, they are always looking out for the sewages, making sure that they are free from blockages and are functioning well. “We need to remove the flow of mud and trash especially during the first battering of rain,” he said.
VIGILANCE
While we may stand no chance against Mother Nature’s might, we can always be prepared to meet it. All that’s needed are proper knowledge and constant vigilance and preparedness.
QUOTABLE QUOTE
“We cannot stop natural disasters but we can arm ourselves with knowledge. So many lives wouldn’t have to be lost if there was enough disaster preparedness.”—Petra Nemcova
Photo credit: PIO, San Juan City