SOME 5,000 Thomasians were left stranded inside the UST campus after heavy flooding blocked University gates on Monday, Aug. 17, a situation that a University official tied to the delayed suspension of college classes in Manila.
“It (scale of stranded stakeholders) was observed due to the delayed declaration of suspension,” a point administrator from the UST Purchasing Office who requested anonymity told The Flame, noting that the University relies on local government declarations in determining class suspensions.
However, the point administrator explained that the initial supply could not immediately accommodate nearly 5,000 Thomasians, as nearby restaurants were unable to provide the requested number of meals at once becuse of the flooding.
“The suppliers, particularly the nearby fastfood restaurants, they cannot [immediately] provide the number that we need because 5,000 is a big number. That became the issue… But we’re trying to make it a point to deliver what we can,” the University official added.
Earlier that day, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso suspended all afternoon classes at 10:39 a.m. as floodwaters began to rise around the capital city. The local government suspended classes from kindergarten to senior high school the night before.
The UST official described the number of stranded Thomasians as “unprecedented,” a scenario that made the delivery of assistance across campus difficult. He added that the last comparable emergency situation occurred before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The University has distributed more than 2,400 meal packs and emergency supplies to those stranded across 16 buildings on campus as of 8:40 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 17.
Some academic units also began cooking and adopting their own arrangements in their respective buildings while the University awaited more supplies.
Stranded
The Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. (BGPOP) Building had the largest number of stranded individuals, estimated at 700, after the College of Tourism and Hospitality Management held an event there, according to the point administrator.
The official also identified the Santísimo Rosario Parish church as another area with many stranded people following a Thanksgiving Mass. Some mass goers moved from the parish to the BGPOP Building to seek shelter and assistance.
Power was also cut off at the St. Raymund de Peñafort Building as a precautionary measure for electrical risks when floodwaters began entering the building.
Response teams from the University and the Red Cross Youth Council helped evacuate and assist stranded persons, with some transferred and provided with first aid response at the Tan Yan Kee Student Center, where most UST organizations were stationed.
University offices, the Student Organizations Coordinating Council, Central Student Council (CSC) and local student councils also coordinated the distribution of food and other relief supplies to stranded Thomasians.
In a Facebook post, the CSC advised students and personnel with wounds or cuts exposed to floodwater to wash them with soap and running water or a skin disinfectant, then seek assessment at the Tan Yan Kee Student Center.
The UST Health Service is also providing free antibiotic doxycycline prophylaxis to Thomasians who waded through floodwater and may be at risk of leptospirosis, the CSC announced.
Students may seek on-site or online medical consultation through the Thomasian Online Medical Services and Support or ThOMedSS starting Tuesday, Aug. 18. When prescribed, doxycycline should ideally be taken within 24 to 72 hours after exposure to floodwater, according to the council.
UST suspended classes at all levels and office work on Tuesday, Aug. 18, and for the rest of the week, adopting an online setup by Aug. 20 and 22 after the flooding and inclement weather experienced on Monday. F – with reports from Justin Antonette Flores, Yelah Israel and Veancy Palad
