BEEF UP RESCUE FACILITIES FOR RAINY SEASON, ANGARA URGES NDCC

With a 5.1 magnitude earthquake felt in Mindanao Friday and heavy rainfall expected this week in South Luzon, Senator Edgardo J. Angara today called on the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) to bolster preparedness in rescue and relief operations despite assurances of no damage foreseen.

He encouraged the nation to remain vigilant and cooperative with government and private agencies in addressing calamities.

"The NDCC and other similar groups have been aggressive in acquiring rescue facilities for calamities, but the government's preparations will not be fully effective without the cooperation of our citizens," reminded Angara, Chair of the Congressional Commission on Science and Technology and Engineering (COMSTE).

Although careful from eliciting any premature warning and fears, Angara expressed concerns following last week's flooding in Metro Manila brought about by heavy rains. Recalling the continuous rains that resulted in last year's Ondoy, Angara instead called on the Filipinos to "hope for the best, prepare for the worst."

The PAGASA yesterday reported a low-pressure area 390 kilometers northeast of Catanduanes, embedded along the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) affecting Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. On Friday night another earthquake hit several parts of Mindanao and Manila.

Earlier Angara called on the DOST and engineering experts to create coping mechanisms at par, if not better than international standards and devise new measures to bolster the country's disaster-preparedness capabilities.

Angara said that calamities impede overall socio-economic development, adding that "building a strong foundation for disaster-preparedness is necessary for the country to sustain its progress by having the necessary and best equipment to pre-empt and address natural disasters."