Philippines: Small scale mining makes Comval more prone to landslides, floods

Source(s): Philippine Information Agency

By Jean Duron-Abangan

Tagum CIty, Davao del Norte
-- Improper small scale mining operation increases the vulnerability of Compostela Valley to landslides and flooding as wet weather condition is expected to prevail this year.

Guesting in the recent Kapihan sa Kapitolyo, Mining Environment Safety Division Chief Noel Angeles of Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau (MGB) XI said some small scale miners in the province are not interested in investing on environment protection.

Their failure to comply with a “systematic” way of mining adds to the susceptibility of the province to geographic hazards particularly landslides and flooding, he said.

Angeles presented a geo-hazard study of MGB XI indicating Compostela Valley to have a total of 124 areas susceptible to landslides and 129 to flooding. This showed the province to have the highest number of areas prone to such types of geo-hazards in Southern Mindanao.

Assistant Regional Director Rebecca Lopez of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) XI said OCD is expecting the provincial government of Compostela to integrate mitigating measures addressing the geo-hazard vulnerability of the areas identified by MGB.

OCD is still waiting for the submission of revised disaster plans of Compostela Valley and other provinces which, right now, are doing necessary revisions to design their respective plans according to the provisions of the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010.

Chief Meteorologist Gerry Pedrico of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services (PAGASA) in the same forum said that the La Nina phenomenon is expected to last until May this year.

The wet weather season characterized by occurrences of northeast monsoon, wind convergence and tail-end of a cold-front is being enhanced by the coming in of La Nina.

“That’s why we are experiencing frequent rains,” he said.

Despite the possibility of flooding, Pedrico was glad of local government’s installation of rain gauges to measure the magnitude of rainfall, pre-warning them of possible flashflood.

Davao del Norte Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) Secretariat Head Arlene Semblante of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) revealed that the provincial government had already distributed a rain gauge in each municipality.

She also bared commitments of town LGUs to put up one rain gauge in every barangay.

On the other hand, Lopez bared the overall goal of disaster risk reduction and management to “hit zero casualty and zero damages” as much as possible during disaster.

She stressed the need for preparedness and community awareness, involvement of the people and their vigilance.

“We need to be pro-active; we have to plan ahead,” she said. (PIA XI/ Jean Duron-Abangan) By Jean Duron-Abangan

TAGUM CITY, Davao del Norte --- Improper small scale mining operation increases the vulnerability of Compostela Valley to landslides and flooding as wet weather condition is expected to prevail this year.

Guesting in the recent Kapihan sa Kapitolyo, Mining Environment Safety Division Chief Noel Angeles of Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau (MGB) XI said some small scale miners in the province are not interested in investing on environment protection.

Their failure to comply with a “systematic” way of mining adds to the susceptibility of the province to geographic hazards particularly landslides and flooding, he said.

Angeles presented a geo-hazard study of MGB XI indicating Compostela Valley to have a total of 124 areas susceptible to landslides and 129 to flooding. This showed the province to have the highest number of areas prone to such types of geo-hazards in Southern Mindanao.

Assistant Regional Director Rebecca Lopez of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) XI said OCD is expecting the provincial government of Compostela to integrate mitigating measures addressing the geo-hazard vulnerability of the areas identified by MGB.

OCD is still waiting for the submission of revised disaster plans of Compostela Valley and other provinces which, right now, are doing necessary revisions to design their respective plans according to the provisions of the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010.

Chief Meteorologist Gerry Pedrico of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services (PAGASA) in the same forum said that the La Nina phenomenon is expected to last until May this year.

The wet weather season characterized by occurrences of northeast monsoon, wind convergence and tail-end of a cold-front is being enhanced by the coming in of La Nina.

“That’s why we are experiencing frequent rains,” he said.

Despite the possibility of flooding, Pedrico was glad of local government’s installation of rain gauges to measure the magnitude of rainfall, pre-warning them of possible flashflood.

Davao del Norte Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) Secretariat Head Arlene Semblante of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) revealed that the provincial government had already distributed a rain gauge in each municipality.

She also bared commitments of town LGUs to put up one rain gauge in every barangay.

On the other hand, Lopez bared the overall goal of disaster risk reduction and management to “hit zero casualty and zero damages” as much as possible during disaster.

She stressed the need for preparedness and community awareness, involvement of the people and their vigilance.

“We need to be pro-active; we have to plan ahead,” she said. (PIA XI/ Jean Duron-Abangan)

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