Acute flooding in Maguindanao needs solution — Legarda

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Loren Legarda has asked the Climate Change Commission (CCC) to look into the acute flooding problem in Maguindanao as she sought government action to address the crisis.

Legarda, in her keynote address at the National Panel of Technical Experts Forum organized by the CCC last Monday, said that with its pool of scientists and researchers, the commission can find out the root cause of flooding in Maguindanao.

The CCC-organized policy forum focused on “Linking Science, Policy, and Practice for Climate and Disaster Resilience.”

“As I speak now, the floods in Maguindanao are still happening,” Legarda said, noting that the problem was being overshadowed by the bloody conflict in Marawi City.

Legarda pointed out that the floods in Maguindanao and the Marawi siege started at around the same time.

Legarda said that the CCC should determine if the flooding was caused by soil erosion or heavy siltation of the Maguindanao river, or by denuded rainforest, as she tagged climate change as generally responsible for the flooding.

The senator, principal author of the Climate Change Act of 2009, said that if the root cause was determined and the appropriate remedy provided by the CCC, she can lobby with the concerned government agency to implement corrective measures.

She said the Department of Public Works and Highways would be tapped if dredging needed to be done, or the National Greening Program for reforestation.