MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – About 377 barangays covering 17 cities and municipalities in Central Visayas are up for a detailed geohazard assessment and mapping in a zoom-in scale of 1:10,000 this year to be undertaken by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).
“With a budget of P2.65 million, the program being implemented by MGB is consistent with President Aquino’s Philippine Development Plan (PDP) which is an ongoing priority program of Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon JP Paje,” said MGB 7 Regional Director Loreto B. Alburo.
“The 377 barangays are prioritized based on the results of the 1:50,000-scale which indicates a number of barangays which are either critical or very high vulnerability to geological hazards such as flooding and landslides,” Loreto explained.
He also added that the main objective of the mapping is to identify areas which are susceptible or vulnerable to various geologic hazards, or geohazards
The MGB 7 official disclosed that the program also seeks to provide information to various stakeholders in order to lessen or mitigate the impact of such events given the adverse and extreme weather patterns or conditions.
In Cebu, 221 barangays are due for mapping. The mapping will cover Danao City with 42 barangays, Lapu-Lapu City with 30, and Mandaue City with 27. The list also includes Compostela, 17; Liloan, 14; Consolacion, 21; Cordova, 13; Barili, 42; and Carcar City with 15 barangays.
Also, 41 barangays will be assessed in Siquijor covering Larena with 23 barangays and 18 in Lazi; and Loay, 24 and Loboc, 28, all in Bohol.
Priority barangays also include 63 areas in Negros Oriental, Amlan with 8; Bacong 22; and Zamboaguita and Dauin, with 10 and 23, respectively.
The 1:10,000-scale will feature a more detailed assessment of the area covered by the mapping which may include the specific physical characteristics or environment of each sitio or “purok” in a barangay.
Among the important information that can be revealed in a 1:10,000-scale geohazard map include parameters or features in the area that may affect ground stability and the type of landslides or flooding that can possibly occur in the area.
Moreover, Alburo bared that a team of geologists will again issue suitable warnings and geohazards advisories to be stamped received by the Office of the Mayor and barangay captain after the said undertaking.
The results will provide local officials the opportunity to initiate mitigating measures and interventions in disaster risk reduction and management.