FLOODING. A house sits precariously on the edge of the Banica River in Dumaguete City in this undated photo. The local government is reviving its Early Warning System amid the El Niño threat. (PNA file photo courtesy of Syril Repe)
DUMAGUETE CITY – The local government of this capital city is planning to revamp its early warning system (EWS) against flooding now that the rainy season has started.
City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer (CDRRMO) Allen Cabaron said on Wednesday the early warning system devices that monitor the water level at the Banica River have already deteriorated over time.
“We need to revive our EWS and we have a budget for that,” he said adding that they will soon hold a bidding process for the procurement of the early warning system devices.
He said the city has set aside some PHP 2.5 million for the early warning system project.
“Three suppliers are needed for the bidding process and we are still looking for two others as we have only identified one here,” Cabaron said.
The EWS devices are found in many areas along the Banica River in this capital and one in Barangay Apolong in nearby Valencia town, where a repeater is installed.
The project was implemented several years ago through the German International Cooperation.
Cabaron lamented that during an inspection, they discovered that some of the EWS equipment were also stolen.
Early warning system is being put in place by local government units to enable communities to respond to warning messages appropriately and quickly during weather disturbances and other calamities. (PNA)
