DENR to conduct geohazard mapping in nine Cebu towns

CEBU, Philippines - Several barangays under nine Cebu towns will undergo a detailed geohazard assessment and mapping scale of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau-7(MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resour-ces (DENR).

In a statement, Loreto Alburo, regional director of MGB-7, said that the geohazard assessment is vital to ensure that lives and pieces of property are protected against the possibility of landslides and flooding, given the adverse and extreme weather conditions.

Out of the 332 barangays in Central Visayas coming from 17 towns to undergo the assessment, 166 barangays will be coming from the towns in Cebu.

The nine towns are Badian (29 barangays), Alegria (9 barangays), Malabuyoc and Ginatilan (14 barangays each); Borbon (19 barangays), Tabogon (28 barangays), Daanbantayan (20 barangays), Samboan (15 barangays) and Oslob (18 barangays).

In Bohol, 166 barangays will also be assessed covering the towns of Batuan (15 barangays), Dimiao (35 barangays), Loay (24 barangays), Mabini (22 barangays), Candijay (21 barangays), Lila (18 barangays), Anda (16 barangays) and Alicia (15 barangays).  

The geohazard assessment and mapping scale has a budgetary allocation of P4.3 million this year.

Alburo said that the objective of the 1:10,000-scale assessment is to indicate more details of the area covered by the map which may include the specific physical characteristics or environment  of each sitio or “purok” in a barangay.

 Alburo added that the 332 barangays are prioritized based on the results of the 1:50,000-scale which indicates a number of barangays which are either critical or with very high vulnerability to geological hazards such as flooding and landslides.

 The 1:10,000-scale geohazard map is expected to be completed this year.

 Alburo said the assessment team of geologists will re-issue appropriate warnings and geohazard advisories to be received by the Office of the Mayor and a barangay official for their record and file.

 He further said that the assessment results will be very important for the local chief executives to implement mitigating measures based on the findings and observations or readiness when a disaster hits.

Alburo further said that geohazard maps have become an important tool in disaster risk reduction and management  efforts of local and national government units.  (FREEMAN)