MGB-7 urges local officials to familiarize geohazard maps
By: Hazel F. Gloria
CEBU CITY, July 8 (PIA) --- Mines and Geosciences Bureay-7 regional director Loreto Alburo urged local officials to familiarize the geohazard maps, and implement the necessary measures to reduce the impact of natural disasters on people’s lives and properties in their respective areas.
Alburo made the appeal in the wake of reports by the weather bureau that heavier rains are still expected until September despite the end of La Nina this June.
PAGASA Supervising Science Undersecretary Graciano Yumul announced the end of La Nina in the country this June, but her residual effects, Ondoy-like rains, remain a possibility.
“Local officials should listen to PAGASA’s warning of heavy rains. In the same way, they should familiarize themselves with their geohazard maps and pay attention to areas that are found to be highly susceptible to flooding and landslides,” Alburo stressed.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7 regional executive director Maximo Dichoso strongly recommended to local chief executives to prohibit people to live in areas declared as “highly susceptible” to flooding and landslides.
Dichoso said that the MGB has already completed the geohazard assessment and mapping throughout the country, and has distributed geohazard maps with a scale of 1:50,000 to all local government units.
“We have conducted the necessary orientation of our local officials. The only thing we ask of them is to revisit the geohazard maps, pay attention of the areas declared as highly susceptible to flooding and landslide, and consider these in their disaster plan,” Alburo said.
In Cebu City, 19 barangays are highly susceptible landslides, namely, Lusaran, Binaliw, Guba, Budlaan, Malubog, Buot-Taup, Busay, Sirao, Taptap, Tagbao, Tabunan, Pung-ol Sibugay,Sudlon II, Sudlon I, Sinsin, Buhisan, Pamutan, Sapangdaku, and Adlaon.
Barangays Tagjaguimit, Alpaco, Balirong, Mayana, Naalad, and Cogon in City of Naga are also declared as highly susceptible to floods and landslides.
Eleven (11) barangays in Balamban: Hingatmonan, Lamesa, Luca, Ginatilan, Cabasiangan, Matun-og, Cansomoroy, Gaas, Magsaysay, Cabagdalan, and Duangan and five (5) barangays in Toledo City: Tungkay, Pangamihan, Bagacay, Loay and Don Andres Soriano; Lamac in Pinamungahan.
Five barangays in Asturias:Agbanga, Baye, Bairan, Kanluangan and Sak-sak; 12 barangays in Catmon: Amancion, Anapog, Bactas, Bongyas, ambangkaya, Cabungaan, Can-ibuang, Duyan, Ginabucan, Panalipan, Tabili and Tinabyonan). all mountain barangays in Talisay City; Brgy. Doldol, Purok 3 in Dumanjug; and Cansalonoy in Ronda.
Alburo said the assessment reveals that there are five barangays in Cebu City that are considered to be most hazardous to flooding and these are Kasambagan, Kinasang-an, Labangon, Mabolo, and Bonbon; and seven barangays in Mandaue City to include Subangdaku, Mantuyong, Umapad, Opao, Alang-alang, Guizo, and Pakna-an.(PIA-7/HFG/DENR-7)
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Pre-SONA economic cabinet cluster gets questions from CV-RDC officers
By: Ruth Paul Cruz
CEBU CITY , July 6 (PIA) --- Central Visayas Regional Development Council co-chair Argeo Melisimo and RDC-Economic Development Committee chairman Robert Go posed questions to the Economic Cabinet Cluster Team during the nationwide Pre-SONA program on July 6 that was on live telecast from Malacanang to the remote teleconferencing points of Baguio , Cebu and Davao .
The program is the first in a series of Pre-SONA public presentations on the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) on each of the five (5) weeks leading up to the State of the Nation Address of President Benigno S. Aquino III on July 25.
The series of cluster forums and presentations are conducted by the Office of the President, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCO) and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) and these are all live via remote telecast with the PTV-4 and Radyo Ng Bayan as carrier stations.
Secretary Cesar Purisima of the Department of Finance (DOF); secretary Gregory Domingo of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI); the director general of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) composed the panel of guests for today’s Economic Cabinet Cluster forum.
Standing at the Magellan's Cross, the landmark site of Cebu City-hookup to the PTV-4 program, Argeo Melisimo asked whether there is any calibrated and organized effort to get LGUs to participate in the MTPDP's inclusive growth plan, while Robert Go asked what the government is doing to increase agricultural productivity and promote high-tech farming.
Socio-Economic Planning Secretary and NEDA Director-General Cayetano Paderanga, DTI Secretary Gregorio Domingo, and Albay Governor Joey Salceda contributed to the responses to their questions.
On Melisimo's question, Paderanga said that in addition to the RDP and the forthcoming Area Development Plans, the inclusive growth plan is to be translated into an Action Plan at the Agency and LGU levels so as to ensure implementation.
The business process streamlining and improvement of social services delivery for example are very important factor in increasing productivity and economic growth at the local level.
Gov. Salceda noted that the RDC has to be activated to oversee the implementation of the MTPDP and the regional development plan.
On Go's question, Paderanga also said that high-tech farming really depends on the development of the market for its products.
The country is still essentially a fragmented economy, and there is a need to integrate its markets into a substantially large one through infrastructure investments, Paderanga answered.
DTI secretary Domingo noted that market development also requires the development of the Small and Medium enterprises (SMEs) which in turn requires opening up of alternative finance windows and credit channels to them.
Salceda on the other hand said market development also means investing on the poor, and the government's conditional cash transfers (CCT) is a form of such investments in their health and education so that there is trickling up of growth.
Salceda also noted the importance of identifying regions according to their industry focus, e.g. tourism for Bicol.
Improving tax collections by government will be necessary to fund economic and social development programs and this is also a key part of market development, Salceda explained.
DOF secretary Purisima in the first portions of the one and a half-hour program explained the pillars of the Aquino development framework for sustained inclusive economic growth, which includes improving tax collections, infrastructure investments, the business climate, and investments in the Filipino. (PIA-7/mbcn & NEDA-7/KMD)