Capitol finds glitch in geohazard maps

CEBU, Philippines - Some local government units in Cebu province have complained that the geohazard maps given to them by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources do not include some of their barangays and river systems.

 Julius Regner, spokesperson of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, pointed out, for one, that a barangay in Argao town and a river in Moalboal town are not found in the geohazard map.

 Rhee Telen II of PDRRMO said this has been causing confusion among local government officials and local disaster personnel in the province. 

 "Duna'y discrepancies sa map. For instance, naa'y river or creek in between sa duha aka barangays pero wala sa map. In defense of MGB, its data is way back 2014 pa," he said.

 Regner said the towns attributed the inaccuracy of the map to MGB's failure to conduct an actual mapping in these areas.

 Moalboal Mayor Ino-centes Cabaron said he has no idea that the town's river is not in the geohazard map, but said he will inquire about it.

 "Duna'y duha ka geohazard surveys ang DENR kaniadto but wala'y gi-indicate didto nga duna'y ri-ver ang wa naapil," he said.

 The Freeman tried to call Argao town Mayor Stanley Caminero to verify the report but he was not available for comment as of press time.

 Leo Jasareno, the director of MGB when the geohazard mapping was conducted in 2012, said earlier that mapping was conducted with geologists visiting the barangays and checking for tension cracks on the ground. He said about 50 geologists worked on the geohazard maps.

 To revise the mismatch geohazard maps, a more detailed geohazard mapping in the province will be done, Regner said.

 "The agency will revalidate the data," he said.

MGB

Marian Codilla, information officer of MGB, said the agency's hazard mapping is complete down to the sitio level.

In fact, she said, the bureau even launched a region-wide information drive including in Cebu province to educate and make locals understand the findings of the geo-hazard mapping and assessment.

Codilla said among those involved in the geo-hazard workshops are barangay captains, barangay councilors, local disaster risk reduction units, teachers, barangay tanods, and some officials of the people's organization, among others.

She said copies of the geo-hazard maps, including map coordinates of specific geologically hazardous areas, were also distributed.

MGB conducted geohazard mapping at the 1:10,000 scale mapping in at least 1,600 municipalities all over the country to show which barangays are prone to landslides and floods.

The geohazard maps were distributed to 21 LGUs in southern Cebu and Cebu City sometime in July 2014, Telen said.

 Data is given to local government units along with recommendations especially on prohibiting habitation and utilization of the land.

MGB-7 regional director Loreto Alburo has said that geo-hazard effects of landslides and also flooding may have been minimized if local officials impose effective land-use policies and regulations that is suitable to their respective areas.

MGB-7 has identified at least 789 barangays in Central Visayas that are highly susceptible to landslide and flooding that are both induced mostly by rain.

Cebu province has at least 37 towns and cities tagged as critical areas by MGB-7 that includes Cebu City and Mandaue City.

In Cebu City alone, MGB-7 noted that at least 41 barangays are susceptible to flooding and 63 barangays, mostly hinterland villages, are vulnerable to landslide.

Mandaue City has 28 barangays that are vulnerable to flooding and five barangays that are possible for landslide. — Kristine B. Quintas and May B. Miasco (FREEMAN)