Beyond drills

By Uriel Quilinguing

IT must have been a sigh of relief for the hundreds of commuters in passenger buses and private vehicles who were stranded for hours — hungry, thirsty and deprived of the comforts for personal necessities in a dimly lit and isolated place — when finally, one of the four-lane road was cleared of mudslide materials.

The Department of Public Works and Highways-10 ordered the temporary closure of the Sayre highway portion in Sitio Damay, Barangay San Vicente of Sumilao, Bukidnon about 6:30 pm Thursday (Nov. 1) due to a landslide which persistent rains these past days triggered. As of 7 am Friday, two lanes were already free from earth, rocks and debris.

An advisory from DPWH-10 stated the clearing operation was jointly undertaken by their personnel and heavy equipment, backed by 3^rd District Engineering Office, 52^nd Engineering Brigade and local governments of Sumilao and Manolo Fortich.

At one time, when I asked former Malaybalay City Mayor Ignacio Zubiri for his thoughts on the province’s road condition, this was what he said: “What is important is something is being done, that there are people working. Something is wrong if nothing is being done.”

That was when I had to request the resetting of my speaking engagement at 1 pm in the afternoon from first hour in the morning since the passenger bus I was in got stuck in a traffic jam at Mangima road in Manolo Fortich due to the ongoing bridge realignment work.  Fortunately, I arrived in Malaybalay just four hours from my original schedule.

But being delayed for four to five hours during day or night time no longer surprise Bukidnons at all since they’ve been used to it. Downhill earth movements, either classified as mudslide, mudflows, debris flows or rock falls, are common sights along the Sayre highway in Bukidnon for decades.

In another instance, also at Sitio Damay in San Vicente, my wife and I, had to transfer to another bus after the vehicle we were in—from the same transport company—had engine trouble at a time when only one-lane was opened while clearing operation of a debris avalanche was ongoing.

That delayed our trip from Davao to Cagayan de Oro, including our dinner, for more than two hours. We had  to contend with hard-boiled egg, boiled peanuts and even binangkal or binaki for the meantime and bottled water,  often sold exorbitantly.

It is also in these situations when gender equality and resourcefulness are tested since there are no urinals and restrooms to talk about. Obviously, the males have the edge over their female counterparts and the in-betweens.

Somehow, I was luckier compared to those who claimed they were stranded for 10 to 12 hours on the road in Bukidnon because of unexpected landslides and the delayed response of agencies tasked to ensure roads are safe, passable and comfortable.

For travelers who get stranded during daytime, much more at nighttime, due to road clearing operations and ongoing projects, transport companies must be obliged to extend assistance to their passengers.

Immediately, an on-site inter-agency command post should be established if, after initial assessment, trips could be delayed for over an hour due to road blockage caused either by man-made or natural disaster. This command post should provide situational reports which should be relayed to all those who have been stranded, assuring them of emergency response and assistance if needed.

At nighttime, vehicles moving toward the ground zero may be advised not to proceed and to stay in places where they are safe, secure and comfortable, preferably in designated passenger terminals where are comfort rooms, waiting areas, and available food and potable water.

I see no reason why these cannot be done if all government agencies, including operators of public utility vehicles, collaborate for the formulation and implementation of an emergency response plan.                         

These past days, most Mindanao residents realize the duck-cover-and-hold-drills are useful but obviously it takes more than that to be safe and survive during earthquakes. In many areas where the tremor struck, after days of rains, mudslides and debris flows also occurred.

Definitely, these are beyond drills but something that can be included in the formulation of risks preparedness and disaster response plans.   

(Uriel C. Quilinguing is a former president of the Cagayan de Oro Press Club who, for more than three decades, had been editor in chief of Cagayan de Oro-based newspapers, including this paper. For reactions, email them to uriel.quilinguing@yahoo.com. )