Heavy and continuous rains have submerged many parts of Metro Manila in floods. Many of these areas do not normally experience floods. According to Inquirer.net, the accumulated rainfall for last Tuesday (August 7) was 472mm in 22 hours, while typhoon Ondoy in 2009 was only 455mm in 24 hours. The rains continued on to the following day, Wednesday, Aug. 8. Dams threatened to overflow, so waters were released. Rivers were at critical levels and evacuations were conducted for flood prone areas. Whether typhoon or monsoon rains, Metro Manila residents should be more conscious of being vigilant and prepared for calamities.

Whether you have been affected by flooding or not, keep the following five things in mind:

1. Check and clear your home’s drainage system. A clogged drainage system will surely facilitate premature and sustained floodin.  There is a need to do periodic checks since floods contain not only water but silt, mud, trash, and other materials which can cause blockages in your drainage systems.
2. 2.     Replace wooden portions of house to marine wood or other water resistant materials.  Take advantage of technology.  Building materials that have water resistant properties will fare far better compared to regular materials which warp and expand when wet.  Replacing these ordinary materials with flood resistant ones will be more expensive initially but the cost is far less than if you replace ordinary materials frequently. This will translate into savings in the long run.     
3. 3.     Place belongings in sealed plastic bins.  Plastic bins float and keep belongings secure and dry. Out of all the plastic bins bought for our house, only one toppled over during this recent flood.  You can also tie them together so floatation will be more stable keeping water from seeping through. 
4. 4.     Ensure the safety of vehicles.  Look for multi-level parking spaces nearby.  Some will charge a fee for overnight parking and some wont.  Regardless, a submerged vehicle will take several months to rehabilitate causing much hassle and a lot of lost productivity on your end.  Cost of repairs will very much likely reach six digits.  Resale value of affected vehicles significantly decline and buyers tend to stay away from these since performance of these vehicles will never be the same as before
5. 5.     Ensure the safety of family members during floods.  The most expensive expense is the loss of a loved one due to the floods. Evacuate before your area is in the danger zone. Possessions and property can always be recovered, wealth can be rebuilt but once you are gone that’s it. Avoid wading in flood waters especially if you have open wounds. Leptospirosis is the leading cause of death due to flooding. Be wary of exposed electrical wires submerged in flood water.  This may cause shock since water conducts electricity.

We can only hope that there won’t be a next time. That calamities will not affect us however we cannot be sure. There is no guarantee that life will be smooth sailing. It’s better to be prepared than be caught off-guard.

A note from the editor – Guita T. Gopalan, Managing Director of Colayco Foundation: 

We at the Colayco Foundation remind everyone to Protect Your Greatest Asset! Having a complete protection basket at your disposal this will help tide you over financially in times of personal and natural calamity.

The basic things you should have are the following:

1. Emergency Funds equal to 2 month’s income. Complete this in the next 3-6 months.
2. Cash Reserves equal to 6 month’s income. Complete this in the next 2-3 years.
3. Insurance for yourself – Life insurance and medical/health insurance
4. Insurance for your property – Car Insurance, House Insurance

The more prepared we are the faster we can recover from unforeseen situations both personal, economic and natural.

Victor S. Cruz is a Financial Wellness Advocate of Colayco Foundation. He is a former Project Officer of Colayco Foundation. At present he is an educator who focuses on teaching stock market decision support systems. He also works as a sales executive and tests new business systems. He actively manages his investment portfolio consisting of equities, mutual funds and cooperatives, particularly KSK Coop and Ahon sa Kahirapan.