A year after ‘Sendong,’ CDO still prone to killer floods

MANILA, Philippines - One year after typhoon “Sendong” struck, Cagayan de Oro City remains prone to catastrophic flooding, a former official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) warned yesterday.

Raoul Geollegue, former DENR-Region 10 executive director, said another Sendong-like tragedy could be averted without the government having to spend millions of pesos.

Geollegue, who currently chairs the Council of Experts on Biodiversity and Sustainability for Mindanao (CEBSMin), said there are ways that don’t need huge funding to prevent flooding in the city.

He said the city is now prone to flooding of catastrophic scale because the Batanga watershed in Bukidnon could no longer hold floodwaters due to extensive logging activities.

An aerial survey conducted by the Philippine Air Force (PAF) on the watershed showed only grassy hills with a few clumps of trees.

If these areas could be replanted with various indigenous tree species or turned into farm lots, Geollegue said flooding would be minimal since the trees would absorb most of the water.

He said the DENR should be more strategic in their decision-making if they are serious in preventing another Sendong or “Pablo”-like tragedy.

He added the local government should not be blamed for the denudation of forests in watershed areas since it is the DENR who issued permits to logging companies.

“DENR should be sober enough to admit they have shortcomings,” he said.