DENR blames heavy rainfall for Negros landslides, floods

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) attributed the recent landslides and flashfloods in central Negros to 10 hours of incessant rains prior to the landfall of Typhoon Tino earlier this month.

In a consolidated assessment report, DENR-Negros Island Region director Charlie Fabre said the rains loosened the compactness of soil, bringing down trees and boulders to communities on the slope of Mt. Kanlaon and affecting almost 800,000 people.

Fabre noted that although the forest cover of Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park has significantly increased, a large portion of land cover is made up of crops, grassland and open barren areas that cannot hold large amount of torrential rains.

He said ground assessment teams found no indications that the trees carried down by severe flooding were illegally cut, as suggested by affected local government units and communities.

The DENR teams reported that 12,636.88 board feet of uprooted Lauan, Toog, Nato, Sangil and mahogany trees were found in La Castellana town in Negros Occidental alone.

They also recorded landslides along the Twin Falls in Sitio Guintubdan, Barangay Ara-al and severe flooding in the rivers of Barangays San Miguel and Nagasi in La Carlota City.

As for the flash flood in Canlaon City on the Oriental side, Fabre said it was caused by a combination of torrential rainfall and presence of volcanic debris on the slopes of Mt. Kanlaon prior to the typhoon.

As of Nov. 16, the Office of Civil Defense reported 107 deaths, with 63 people still missing and 153 injured.