Disaster council head to public: Heed warning

By Danny O Sagun

Dagupan City (28 September) — The executive officer of the Pangasinan disaster coordinating council has asked the public to heed any warning or advisory in connection with a coming weather disturbance.

Paterno Orduna in a media forum bared that the fishermen from western Pangasinan who were recently rescued by the Coast Guard at the height of Storm “Ondoy” were the very same people who had been rescued earlier. “Suwete nga nila’t nakauwi pa,naging problema pa tuloy sila ng Coast Guard” he told the second edition of the Lingguhang Talakayan sa Kapitolyo Monday at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center in Lingayen.

“Walang kuwenta yong preparasyon natin sa kalamidad kung hindi makikipagtulongan ang ating mga kababayan,” he said.

Pangasinan braced for another calamity last weekend as Ondoy crossed Central Luzon. Some 70 families were evacuated Sual and Dagupan City due to strong winds, the PDCC reported. Generally, the province was spared of very strong winds and heavy downpour.

A 51-year-old man from barangay Dulig in Labrador town identified as Nestor F. Versoza who died of electrocution was the only fatality recorded by the PDCC.

The four fishermen from Bolinao said to be missing earlier were rescued Sunday night by Malaysian tanker Seri Bijak Sana which was bound for Korea. The fishermen, identified as Orlando Baliton, 49, of barangay Concordia in Bolinao and operator of the banca John Mark; Sonny Bauzon, 45 of Germinal, Bolinao, Arthur Caasi, 40, also of Germinal, and Eliong Unto, also of the same barangay, went on fishing on September 23 but failed to return home at the height of the storm.

They were scheduled to be fetched by their families this morning at the Coast Guard station in San Fernando City in La Union.

Orduna said that the council regularly conducts seminar and simulated rescue operations for PDCC members and volunteers to make them ready for any eventuality.

On fears that the San Roque Multi-Purpose dam may cause severe flooding in Pangasinan in case of a dam break, he said that the PDCC maintains close coordination with the dam management particularly during times that the dam needs to release excess waters.

He likewise clarified that the PDCC’s mandate is to coordinate activities with municipal or city disaster councils which he said are the “first responders” during disasters. “Hindi kami Superman,” he said in reaction to lapses or limitations in rescue operations. (PIA Pangasinan)