DENR intensifies info campaign on geohazards

MANILA, Philippines - Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon Paje yesterday directed his field officials to heighten their information campaign on geohazards at the community level.

He also urged the public, particularly those living in critical areas, to be extra vigilant so as to prevent loss of lives and property during floods, landslides and the like.

“We have practically covered most parts of the country with our geohazard mapping and assessment program. What we need to do now, given the La Niña episode, is to pursue with more vigor our information campaign, particularly in areas found to be highly prone to geologic hazards like flooding, landslides and liquefaction,” Paje said.

He said the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the DENR, which implements the geohazard mapping project, orients the concerned local government units and communities after completing the mapping of an area.

But with the weather bureau’s announcement of a La Niña episode in the country, Paje said there is a need to continuously remind the people of geohazards to make them stay alert and take precautionary measures early.

He also directed MGB regional directors to provide local government units in their respective jurisdictions lists of critical areas that are likely to be seriously affected by natural calamities.

Paje also appealed to residents in Metro Manila and other urban centers nationwide to refrain from dumping their garbage in rivers and esteros as this will clog waterways and cause flooding.

“We clamored for change in our government, and there’s no doubt we have achieved that change in the last elections. Now, the government is asking each of us to make a change in the way we do things for the betterment of our environment, like disposing of our garbage properly,” he stressed.

Based on its geohazard mapping project, the MGB has identified Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Maguindanao, Bulacan, Metro Manila, North Cotabato, Oriental Mindoro and Ilocos Norte as areas that are highly susceptible to flooding.

Areas highly prone to landslides, on the other hand, are the provinces of Benguet, Mountain Province, Nueva Vizcaya, Kalinga-Apayao, Southern Leyte, Abra, Marinduque, Cebu, Catanduanes and Ifugao.

LGUs urged to be on alert

Meanwhile, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo urged local government units (LGUs) to enhance their disaster preparedness as part of the effort to minimize damage during disasters since the Philippines has the most number of disasters worldwide.

Robredo said local government units are mandated, under the law, to establish a unit for disaster mitigation in their respective localities.

“(The) first step is to do an assessment on disaster preparedness instead of just preparing for disaster response. There are a lot of things that you can’t defy but I’m sure you can work on zero casualty by getting everyone prepared,” Robredo said in an interview with reporters inside Camp Crame. – Cecille Suerte Felipe