BAGUIO CITY — The Cordillera Regional Development Council (RDC) here blamed the lack of zoning and appropriate land use as the major causes of landslides in the different parts of the region which caused the loss of numerous lives and damage to billions of properties over the onslaught of several typhoons that visited the Cordillera.

Because of such pressing concern, the RDC-CAR ordered an investigation on the issues on zoning in the formulation of the appropriate development plans for the Cordillera in the future.

Juan Ngalob, regional director of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) in the Cordillera and acting RDC-CAR chairman, explained the land use plans of the different local government units have to be spelled out in order to serve as a major guide in the establishment of commercial centers to prevent whatever untoward incidents that would happen in the future that may lead to loss of lives and damage to properties.

Despite the effort of the region’s policy-making body to put in place the comprehensive land use plan of the different local governments, the RDC-CAR revealed 60 percent of the region have been classified as risk areas, thus, actions and decisions of local governments must be synchronized by the various offices and agencies concerned in the formulation with the long-term plans for the concerned local governments.

The RDC-CAR will be convening the regional land use committee in order to make a definite policy relative to appropriate land use to guide local governments in deciding the state of development in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

Most of the local governments have been provided with their respective geohazard maps but the same are not being taken into serious consideration in the approval of appropriate development plans.