DENR readying website on geohazard maps

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is working on a website dedicated to geohazard maps.

Environment Secretary Ramon Paje yesterday said ordinary citizens may download the maps of their respective barangays to enable them to prepare in times of natural disaster.

The website, planned to be launched this month, replaces the bad copies downloaded from the site of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB). 

MGB Director Leo Jasareno said copies of the completed geohazard maps are being distributed to local government units. After the distribution, a forum will be organized to discuss the markings on the map. Using the color-coding scheme of the areas, for instance, portions colored in violet are considered as no-habitation zones. The provision of relocation sites, engineering intervention (such as the construction of dikes), and contingency measures in times of natural calamities will also be discussed.         

“But then the bottomline is availability of resources. No one would want deaths and destruction in their areas. However, for one particular barangay to undertake relocation, it should have enough resources. If they lack resources, the support of the national government is really much-needed,” Jasareno said.