As an individual that is part of a bigger community, in my opinion, I think it's crucial to be educated and informed regarding the risks and capacity we have as people and as a community. It should be constantly reminded that disasters are prone to always happen, and that we should be ready for these things whenever they should occur. It isn't merely enough anymore to be aware, but to be educated as well about the procedures to follow after disasters have struck. Information should be readily available no matter where you are, and what makes that more convenient is having it publicly open to the masses through websites and social media accounts.
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| Barangay Matandang Balara's Multi-Purpose Hall used for Seminars, Meetings, Community events etc... |
During the community walk I did, there weren't really anything I noticed that was heavily danger prone to the community. Trash wasn't that much of a problem however, segregation should still be deemed important. Water ways and drainage systems were okay, as rarely does Old Balara from past experience ever get flooded with incoming water for storms and heavy rain fall; except in certain locations like Zuzuarregui street near Commonwealth Avenue and Capital Hills Drive.
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| Sign in Zuzuarregui street. |
However, what I did notice within Matandang Balara, is that there are way to many private sectors within the district. You have huge properties with many locations closed off by private stakeholders that makes it near-impossible for the Barangay to make any seminars or propagation of awareness possible within those locations. And, that is when I realized that, that is why I felt that the presence of the Barangay wasn't enough. Not denying the fact that the size of the Barangay is huge, the fact that the ability to provide information isn't that straightforward as I thought.
Within Barangay Matandang Balara, as big of a barangay as this is, it is hard to disseminate and provide information at a fast pace. The fact that the location is already big itself doesn't help with the many private subdivisions and property included within the barangay. Therefore, in order to improve that we, as a community, need to be able to provide readily available information to the public. Holding seminars are still necessary however, with a Barangay as big as Matandang Balara, it'll be cost efficient to rather provide that information publicly online.
This is when I decided to further research regarding the current situation of the available information that the public is exposed to online. Within the Barangay Matandang Balara Action forward Facebook page, not much is necessarily shown about the procedures or processes about disasters etc... As well as, the link to their website is not even working.
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| Facebook page "About Section" of Barangay Matandang Balara. |
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| Barangay Matandang Balara's website not working. |
In my opinion, if the target audience you expect to have for seminars is not working out, then it's clear something must change. In order to properly educate the residents of Matandang Balara, it has become evident that holding seminars may not be the best thing anymore. It's crucial nowadays, especially in an age of technological advancement happening almost everyday, that we provide information online publicly available to everyone to see. This is to create a chance for each and every individual to do their own research regarding where the best possible location to evacuate is, should a disaster occur, and how to get there.
Even on the Quezon City Government website, the information is not publicly available to the public regarding as to where the nearest evacuation center is in Matandang Balara.
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| District II Matandang Balara's Evacuation site clearly missing. |
In conclusion, based on my community walk, trip to the barangay, and reflection about the current state of how our community is, development towards the risk reduction of future disasters is well-equipped and almost ready. However, for a place with so many private sectors in the district where the barangay cannot simply enter and conduct seminars, assessment tests, and evacuation drills, it becomes necessary for them to have the appropriate information readily available elsewhere. Should they pay attention to this blog and Project Plan, I hope that they'll improve their website and social media accounts in order to provide proper information that'll help educate and inform individuals whom look to their presence online in order to gain the knowledge about the situation and procedures should disasters occur in the future.
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