By Catherine J. Teves
MANILA, Nov. 6 (PNA) — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is in the final stretch of its work on producing geohazard maps for all 171 cities and municipalities government identified as affected by onslaught of super typhoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) last year.
DENR-Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) reported completion of 131 geohazard maps for all cities and municipalities of Leyte, Samar, Eastern Samar, Cebu, Biliran, Iloilo, Palawan, Southern Leyte and Dinagat Island provinces, all of which were affected by the super typhoon.
“This year, we aim completing work for the remaining cities and municipalities,” said MGB Lands Geological Survey Division OIC chief Lilian Rollan.
Such LGUs are in Masbate, Aklan, Antique, Capiz and Negros Occidental provinces, MGB data show.
Rollan said MGB is in the process of producing maps for those LGUs as the agency already concluded its assessment of geohazards in the 171 “Yolanda” cities and municipalities.
The map production for “Yolanda” areas is part of MGB’s continuing nationwide geohazard mapping activity.
Such activity aims to forewarn people about rain-induced landslide and flooding risks in their communities so they can deal with these accordingly.
“Dealing with geohazards include evacuating to safer ground early on if necessary,” Rollan said.
Geohazard mapping is among government’s initiatives to build resiliency in communities nationwide including those still reeling from the wrath of “Yolanda.”
“Yolanda” plowed through Central Philippines on Nov. 8 last year, killing over 6,000 people and nearly destroying everything in its path.
Experts cited “Yolanda” as among the strongest tropical cyclones to make landfall in the world’s recorded history.
Rollan said MGB already commenced distributing copies of geohazard maps this agency produced for the “Yolanda” cities and municipalities.
She noted MGB also gave copies of the maps to the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Rehabilitation and Recovery (OPARR), government’s designated “Yolanda” rehabilitation czar, and the science department.
The maps are digitized format already and drawn to scale 1:10,000 meters to better present rain-induced geohazards in the “Yolanda” cities and municipalities, she said.
As a safety precaution, Rollan said MGB held — before producing the maps — exit conferences in “Yolanda” LGUs where the agency assessed geohazards.
She said such conferences aimed to inform the LGUs about geohazards these face.
“We even issued threat advisories for LGUs if necessary,” she said.
Rollan reiterated government’s call for people to heed its geohazard warnings so life, limb and property can be better protected.
Citing response of Iloilo province’s Brgy. Cawilihan in Leon municipality during the August 2011 onslaught of typhoon “Mina”, she said the LGU and community there heeded MGB’s recommendation for early evacuation as the agency found this village to be highly susceptible to landslide.
“People there evacuated as recommended and avoided being killed by landslide that occurred there then,” she said.
Data show the landslide affected 16 hectares of land in Brgy. Cawilihan, including farmland, as well as totally destroyed seven houses and damaged a 50-meter stretch of a “barangay” road there.
“There was zero casualty from that landslide, however,” Rollan added. (PNA)