Paje warns vs more landslides, flashfloods

MANILA, Philippines –  Environment Secretary Ramon Paje has warned that more landslides and flashfloods are expected in disaster-prone areas such as Southern Leyte following a forecast from the weather bureau of more rains until February. 

“With incessant rains being experienced in the Visayas and Mindanao in the past weeks, we expect the soil to have been fully saturated. With forecast of more rains until next month, it is a matter of time that more landslides and flashfloods would take place in disaster-prone areas,” Paje said. 

He again called on local executives of La Niña-affected areas to take heed of the warnings on geological hazards issued by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB). 

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) chief said that the MGB, an attached agency of the DENR, has already completed the geohazard mapping and assessment of the whole country last year. It has likewise finished distributing geohazard maps to local government units. 

However, following the national elections last year, Paje directed the MGB to again distribute geohazard maps to local government units to enable them, particularly the new ones, to integrate mitigating measures, including possible relocation or evacuation sites, into their local disaster management plans. 

“The recent loss of lives in Barangay Bolod-bolod in St. Bernard town could have been avoided as the residents, through their local leaders, had been sufficiently forewarned that the area was classified as highly susceptible to landslides, especially during heavy rains,” Paje said. 

St. Bernard was one of the first places to undergo MGB’s geohazard mapping and assessment in 2006. The geohazard assessment showed that Barangay Bolod-bolod, being situated along the river valley of the Himbungao River and flanked in the eastern portion by slopes of the valley edge, “is generally prone to landslides and was classified to be moderately to highly susceptible to this type of hazard.” 

The assessment report also states: “As can be gleaned in the geohazard map prepared for the area, the eastern section of Barangay Bolod-bolod is clearly within the landslide susceptible area with the remaining portion of the barangay within the landslide debris accumulation zone. This portion, which immediately straddles the Himbungao River, is also highly susceptible to floods and flashfloods.” 

The report likewise noted, “Considering that the rainy period would continue at least up to February in the eastern seaboard of the country, the likelihood of more flooding and landslide events in the areas affected is still considered very high.”

Around 1,618 municipalities nationwide were covered by the MGB’s geohazard mapping program.  

Meantime, at least 404 flood-prone areas in Davao City have been identified by disaster officials.

But local government officials allayed fears the list could trigger a false alarm and panic in the city, especially with the onslaught of the rainy season this month.

The list would also serve as a guide for properly addressing emergency situations brought about by floods and landslides.

The list of the 404 flood-prone areas has also helped local officials map out the necessary response system in case of heavy rains.

Barangay officials in Davao City have also established their own emergency response system, including buying their own life-saving equipment.

This is on top of the equipment the city’s Central 911 emergency response center has.

Davao City is the only area in the country that has a Central 911 system patterned after those in the United States and Canada.

Of the 404 areas identified to be flood-prone, 139, 138 and 127 of these areas could be found in Districts 1, 11, and 111 respectively. – With Edith Regalado