Heed weather advisories, geohazard maps, DENR says

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
December 21, 2011

TACLOBAN CITY  –  In the light of the recent tragedy brought about by typhoon Sendong to the people of Northern Mindanao, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Eastern Visayas exhorted the local government units and the public as a whole to heed weather advisories and to take geohazard maps seriously.

Forester Manolito Ragub, DENR-8 Regional Technical Director for Forest Management Service and current DENR-8 OIC, made the pronouncement during the Suruswerte Ha PIA radio program on Tuesday.

RTD Ragub said that DENR has distributed geohazard maps where the disaster prone areas are identified, to all local government units, so that they will be properly guided in taking the necessary steps before, during and after a calamity.

“The geohazard maps are critical planning tools in the local government’s risk reduction program,” RTD Ragub underscored.

Geo-hazard maps contain information as to the level of susceptibility of areas to flooding and landslide, including areas that could possibly be used as relocation or evacuation sites, in case of calamities.

RTD Ragub said the recent calamity is another wakeup call for everyone to do his or her part for the conservation and protection of the environment.  Eastern Visayas is lucky because it still has forests with good vegetation and rich biodiversity in Samar Island.

The DENR 8 OIC added that the Sendong tragedy sends a strong message to work harder in building disaster-prepared and disaster-resilient communities by enhancing the local disaster risk reduction and management councils.

Under Republic Act No. 10121 or the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, LGUs are tasked to evacuate residents in flood- and landslide-prone areas and relocate them to safe areas in times of impending typhoon and other weather disturbances that could bring heavy rains.