The Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Office No. 6 targets to conduct an information, education and communication (IEC) drive on geohazards particularly rain-induced landslides and floods to 1,300 barangays in the different municipalities of Iloilo, Aklan, Capiz, and Guimaras, according to the Chief of the Geosciences Division Mae Magarzo of the MGB RO-6.
Ms. Magarzo said that the IEC team have already conducted seminars in Tigbauan, Guimbal, San Joaquin, Pavia, Sta. Barbara, New Lucena and Leganes, Iloilo with participants from the Liga ng mga Barangay who also compose the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (BDRRMC), Municipal DRRMC, persons with disability, women’s group, and Municipal Planning and Development Council (MPDC).
We will continue to spread the awareness on geohazards and the usefulness of geohazard maps to the remaining targeted barangays of Igbaras, Maasin, Janiuay, Badiangan, Calinog, Pototan, Zarraga, Bingawan, San Rafael, Balasan, Carles, and Estancia, Iloilo; Numancia and Banga, Aklan; Dao, Sigma, Sapian and Mambusao, Capiz; San Lorenzo, Sibunag, Jordan and Buenavista, Guimaras. MGB RO-6 will also assist in conducting the IEC in San Enrique, Hinigaran, Pontevedra, Pulupandan and Manapla, NIR.
The IEC on geohazards will enable the barangay to use the geohazard maps and learn how vulnerable their areas are to landslides and floods as triggered by heavy and prolonged rains.
Equipped with the correct information, we hope that the local government particularly at the barangay level will work out towards being more prepared and ensure that no lives will be lost when floods and landslides occur, Magarzo explained.
MGB RO-6 Regional Director Leo Van V. Juguan said that the MGB is responsible for mapping the country in terms of vulnerability to rain-induced landslides and floods, the two most common geohazards experienced by the country during the rainy season and when typhoons hit the country.
RD Juguan said that with the detailed geohazard mapping on a scale of 1:10,000 completed in 2014, the MGB is now focusing on disseminating the results of the mapping to the local government.
“We have started presenting the geohazard maps to the sangguniang panlalawigan, sangguniang bayan, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) and various stakeholders such as schools and the military in different forum in the previous years,” RD Juguan added.
“Dealing with the effects of climate change is tough and teaching our barangays to locate where the most vulnerable areas are to landslides and floods is our way of helping them to be more aware of these geologic hazards and thus, be more prepared especially when the rainy season comes,” said Regional Director Juguan. (MGB RO-6)