Group: CDO, Iligan tragedies could have been prevented

MANILA, Philippines – A non-government organization, pushing climate change action program, today said the thousands of deaths in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities could have been avoided had the government heed the its warning.

The Climate Change Congress of the Philippines, headed by Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, said the number of deaths in the affected provinces by typhoon Sendong could have been minimized if the Department of Environment and Natural Resources acted on the integrated watershed management program.

The group noted that the Bukidnon watershed is three times larger than the Marikina watershed as it covers the provinces of Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte and Misamis Oriental.

"The national government should immediately declare the Bukidnon watershed as a protected area, banning logging and mining operations," Ledesma said in a statement.

He also called on the DENR to call a meeting on the watershed management council.

For his part, Esteban Godilano, CCCP's geospatial watershed management specialist, said the group has not reneged on warning the government of an impending landslide or flashfloods in provinces in the country, including Cagayan de Oro.

"Nag-conduct kami ng mga seminars at workshops to educated LGUs but they apparently not listened," Godilano said.

He also suggested that the geo-hazard maps be accessible not only to the LGUs but to the public.

Godilano said he already presented the vulnerability and geo-hazard maps to the local officials in Cagayan de Oro prior to the devastating flashfloods that literally erased numerous villages.

"The local officials do their planning according to their political boundaries," Godilano said, adding the maps have been known and presented to concerned government agencies seven years ago.