It is better to overreact (OA) than to be sorry when calamity strikes.

The same principle should be applied when we prepare for typhoons, like “Pablo” which is expected to be in 150-km west of Iloilo City by Wednesday morning.

With 101 to 185 kilometer per hour sustained winds and up to 15 to 30 mm of rains per hour within its 600-km diameter, the public must be in close coordination with their barangay disaster response teams to ensure their safety at all times.

The public must also heed to the advisories and must be ready to evacuate when they are told to do so for their own and the rescuers’ safety.

There is nothing wrong in having emergency kits which include bottled water, food, first aid kit, Swiss Army knife, clothes, flashlights and batteries, toiletries, large garbage bags, umbrella, fully-charged mobile phone, whistle, battery-powered radio, cash and a list of emergency hotlines.

We have already witnessed too many instances when families insisted to stay in their houses despite warnings yet ended up on top of their roofs or dead. Worst, they blame the rescuers or the local disaster response teams as if they were never warned in the first place.

No one can be prepared enough for a disaster for no one can tell or predict the damage it can bring. However, with proper coordination and cooperation between the NDRRMC frontliners and the public, casualties can be prevented and damages, lessened.*