By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso ordered the full mobilization of Manila’s government forces Monday as days of relentless habagat rains continued to batter the capital, directing city agencies to stay on the ground and prepare for worsening conditions.
Domagoso convened an emergency meeting of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) and issued sweeping directives covering evacuation centers, road clearing, traffic control, police security, electrical hazards and hospital preparedness.
His message to city officials was blunt: Manila cannot afford to stand down while its residents remain at risk.
“Alam ko walang pasok ngayon, pero wala namang aasahan ang tao kundi tayong gobyerno,” Domagoso said, ordering city personnel to continue working despite the non-working day.
The Manila Department of Social Welfare (MDSW) was directed to ensure that evacuees in the city’s four active evacuation centers receive continuous food and other basic assistance for as long as they remain displaced.
Domagoso also ordered the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) and the Department of Environment and Public Services (DEPS) to maintain round-the-clock clearing operations on roads clogged or threatened by fallen trees, debris and other obstructions.
The mayor warned that the hazards created by the storm did not end with flooding.
“On top of the flooding, this debris may cause also accidents or harm to passersby,” he said, telling city personnel to remain deployed in the streets even during the holiday.
Domagoso separately ordered the DEPW to coordinate directly with Meralco in clearing damaged electrical posts and cables that could pose potentially fatal risks to pedestrians and motorists.
A Meralco representative reported during the emergency meeting that the utility had not recorded any major circuit outage in Manila, although isolated household interruptions had occurred after debris came into contact with power lines.
Domagoso ordered the city and the power distributor to work together—but emphasized that safety must come first.
“Mag-jo-joint force tayo with Meralco, basta ligtas lang ’yung tao, kasi mahirap yung kawad pag nasa kalsada,” he said.
With flooded and hazardous roads expected to disrupt movement, the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau (MTPB) was ordered to deploy traffic enforcers across the city to assist motorists and pedestrians.
The Manila Police District (MPD), meanwhile, was placed on high alert, with police stations and community precincts instructed to intensify their presence and prevent criminals from exploiting the emergency.
Domagoso made clear that bad weather would not become a cover for opportunistic criminals.
“We will not allow ’tong mga tulisan to take the opportunity na makapamerywisyo,” he said.
The city’s health system was also placed on heightened readiness as authorities prepared for possible increases in weather-related emergencies and other medical cases.
Domagoso directed the Manila Health Department (MHD) to ensure adequate stocks of medicines and other medical supplies in health centers and city hospitals.
Hospitals were also ordered to coordinate among themselves and transfer medical resources when necessary, allowing facilities facing heavier patient demand to receive support from those with available capacity.
The mayor further required every city department head to submit a comprehensive situation report by 6 p.m. Monday, providing officials with updated information that would guide the city’s next round of emergency decisions.
“I need the reporting by 6:00 PM tonight so that we can address whatever will come today in preparation for tomorrow, again the way we did it last night and the other night,” Domagoso said.
The reports are expected to form part of the city’s assessment of whether further protective measures will be necessary as the habagat continues to affect Manila.
Domagoso said he would decide by early Monday evening whether classes in Manila would have to be suspended again on Tuesday.
With the monsoon continuing to threaten the capital, the mayor’s emergency directives placed Manila’s entire government apparatus on standby—not merely to respond to flooding, but to keep the city moving, protect its residents and prevent a weather emergency from turning into a wider public-safety crisis.
ia/xf
