MMDRRMC readies El Niño plans

By Joel E. Zurbano

THE Metro Manila Disaster Risk Response and Management and Management Council (MMDRRMC) and local government units (LGUs) in the National Capital Region (NCR) are setting up contingency plans in preparation for the looming water crisis amid the El Niño phenomenon.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman and concurrent MMDRRMC head Romando Artes who said all the 17 local governments in the NCR have formed their respective task force to formulate preparations and contingency measures to mitigate the effects of the El Niño in their respective cities.

He said each of the LGUs’ task force will submit their proposed plans to the Metro Manila Council (MMC) which is set to convene later this month.

The MMC is the governing board and the policy-making body of the MMDA. “Recommendations will be consolidated and coordinated with the con- cerned government agencies for possible implementation and replication of efforts in other regions,” Artes said.

The MMDA was also closely coordinating with the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) in monitoring water supply and regulating the use of water in Metro Manila.

“We are also coordinating with the MWSS on how to recycle the treated wastewater from various Sewerage Treatment Plants,” said Artes.

Artes also said the agency was mulling to procure a device that can collect water from the air with a filtration system that can produce potable water. He added that the collected water may be used as an alternative water source.

On disaster preparedness, the MMDA was continuously conducting water search and rescue training of responders from different LGUs, monitoring closedcircuit television (CCTV) cameras along the waterways to monitor water level. Recently, the agency also procured four boats to be used for rescue operations.

“All of the 71 pumping stations are 100% operational and continuous declogging operations are conducted to mitigate flooding in the metropolis,” Artes said.

The weather bureau on Thursday said there is a 90 percent chance that the El Niño phenomenon will persist until the first quarter of 2024. With AFP

PNP happy with high trust rating in OCTA’s Q1 survey

By Charles Dantes

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) on Friday said it is “pleased” for having garnered a high trust rating in the recent Tugon ng Masa Survey by the OCTA Research.

In the survey conducted on March 24 to 28, eight out of 10 Filipinos nationwide indicated they trust the police, while79 percent expressed satisfaction with PNP’s performance.

The trust and satisfaction levels vary across regions and socioeconomic classes, but overall, the PNP said that it continues to enjoy public support.

“The PNP welcomes the result of this survey. This is a clear manifestation of the trust and confidence of the majority of the Filipinos to their Police. Indeed, the unwavering dedication of each member of the PNP reflects truly in the result of this survey,” the agency said in a statement.

Meanwhile, 41 percent of Filipinos perceived an improvement in the PNP’s implementation of peace and order, while 9 percent said it has worsened with 48 percent believing that nothing has changed.

On the other hand, 41 percent of the respondents hailed PNP’s improved response to criminality, with 8 percent saying it has worsened, while 46 percent said that they did not saw any changes.

“This [survey] is also a testament that despite some issues hounding the PNP, majority of the people are still appreciating the everyday sacrifices of every police officer patrolling in every corner of the streets, investigating crimes, conducting operations against criminals and assisting those who are in need,” the PNP added.