Batanes not a geological hazard area

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan — Despite being surrounded by water, the island province of Batanes is generally not a geological hazard zone, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said the other day.

This should allay fears of residents that their tiny island-province is a geological-hazard zone, MGB regional director Jerrysal Mangaoang said.

Located off the northernmost part of Luzon, Batanes are islands believed to have been formed through volcanic eruptions centuries ago. However, it is not a geological hazard zone compared with some of the areas in mainland Cagayan Valley.

Earlier, Batanes Gov. Vicente Gato said that while they have an active volcano, there is no imminent danger that their province would disappear from the map if the volcano erupts. There is no truth to the belief that Batanes is prone to extinction because of its geographical features.

For his part, Mangaoang said that Batanes is ‘hard as rock’ since it is made up of volcanic debris, including hard rocks of ‘younger stage.’ Besides, he added, the place has no fault line, making the province ‘generally safe.’

The only threat to Batanes is its active volcano, but Mangaoang said that volcanic behaviors or tendencies are natural.

"All volcanoes as a general rule are active… in the sense that it will erupt at some point in time. If during our time then let it be. It’s God’s will," he said.

Earlier, the MGB identified 20 towns in the region as geo-hazard zones, most of which are in Cagayan and Isabela, which are now the subject of geological assessment.

The identified landslide- and flashflood-prone areas, Mangaoang said, includes the towns of Baggao, Solana, Tuao and Aparri and Tuguegarao City, all from Cagayan; and the towns of Ramon, San Mateo, Ilagan and those in the northern areas of Isabela.