ILOILO – With 18 to 20 typhoons wreaking havoc every year, Western Visayas should have long ago mastered the preparations needed to avert a disaster. Severe Tropical Storm “Paeng” instead exposed “our failure to plan deeply and comprehensively”, according to a Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) member.
The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council recorded 36 deaths — with eight of these in Iloilo province – mostly due to drowning and landslides. Several bridges collapsed. Floodwaters displaced hundreds of families.
What went wrong?
Many if not all critical areas like geologic faults, landslide-prone areas, low-lying and flood prone areas were inaccurately identified, according to SP member Matt Palabrica, vice chairman of the committee on cultural communities and the underprivileged.
Infrastructure, especially the aging ones, were not given much attention, he also said.
Bridges in central and southern Iloilo collapsed because their foundations were shallow and may have been built not taking into consideration natural scouring, said Palabrica.
“Bridges and many roads did not stand the force of the rain and the subsequent flood. Quarrying in rivers resulted to landslides and damaged bridges and dikes,” he added.
On the other hand, denudation of mountains and their conversion to agricultural and residential uses resulted in landslides, mudslides and flooding in low-lying areas, lamented Palabrica,
He also cited the failure to appreciate the role of planning for land and settlements development.
At the municipal level, he noted, the local planners may not have appreciated the fact that they are at the ground level and their recommendations are most crucial to the development of their localities.
“Where there is potential for disasters, their role is for strongly recommending where development should go and if areas need to have limited growth, their position should be clear so that loss of life and property is somehow contained if not fully avoided,” he stressed.
“Paeng” was a wakeup call, he stressed.
On top of evaluating risk potentials and recommending courses of actions in cases of calamities, Palabrica said local governments should have contingency plans that are more practical, quick-reacting and efficient.
The SP member shared some practical solutions These were:
* for the Mines and Geosciences Bureau to review and update geohazard maps
* zoning and land use at the local level should be revisited to avoid placing families in areas prone to disaster
* extensive disaster management information and education at the barangay level
* reforestation and conservation at the barangay level
* local programs to protect roads and bridges against damage
The Provincial Board member also pressed for a plan relative to water resources conservation, development, enhancement and management in Iloilo./PN
