Be ready with your disaster pail

Louie Domingo, Emergency Research Center Representative, shows a cellphone that charges by an Eveready battery. With him are Eveready Brand Manager Jojo Emata (center) and Eveready Product Manager Lady Reyes. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

A covered “e-pail” (emergency pail) containing essential items is a simple way for a family to be prepared for an emergency.

“We’re promoting the use of an emergency balde (pail). Why? Because it floats, it’s water resistant to protect your belongings and is common in our homes,” said Louie Domingo of the Emergency Research Center in yesterday’s launching of a nationwide preparedness program by batteries and flashlights maker Eveready in Cebu City.

Inside the e-pail he showed matches, a shirt, easy-to-open canned goods, one transistor radio, one trash bag, a liter of water, flashlights and batteries.

The pail’s cover can be used as a small basin for food or water. The shirt can be used to cover one’s nose from smoke caused by fires.

Other basic items are a charged cellphone, ropes or fishing lines, mosquito repellant, disposable underwear, a whistle, canned goods, a candle, battery powered-radios, medication, mirror for signaling, and money in bills of P20, P50 or P100 bills to avoid being inconvenienced with securing change.

Domingo also said a tennis ball or playing cards can be handy in keeping children busy and stop them from wandering around.

A liter bottle of water, once consumed, can be cut at the top with a hole in the cap to catch rainwater.

A piece of cloth can be used as filter and about 10 percent of iodine added to the rainwater to disinfect it.

“Just remember 1-4-30 – for one liter of rainwater, use four drops of iodine and let it stay for 30 minutes,” Domingo said.

“This is the company’s way of giving back to the community. During calamities, the public can rely on our products to keep families safe during emergencies,” said Johanna Emata, brand manager of Eveready.