Iloilo City – Regional Director Leo Van V. Juguan of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Region-6, DENR said that the detailed geohazard mapping (1:10,000 scale) of 17 cities and municipalities in Region 6 was fast tracked as ordered by the DENR Secretary Ramon JP Paje a month ago.
The geohazard assessment reports and maps are essential instruments needed by the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (OPARR) to be used for post-Yolanda rehabilitation and recovery efforts of the government.
In Region-6, detailed geohazard mapping of 17 municipalities were completed in time for the June 20, 2014 deadline set by the DENR. These are Batad, Balasan, Carles, Estancia, Lemery, Bingawan, San Rafael, and San Enrique, Iloilo; Batan, Aklan; Dumalag, Cuartero, Pontevedra, Sapian, Pilar, and Pan-ay, Capiz and Manapla, and E.B. Magalona, Negros Occidental;
There were 69 remaining Yolanda-affected cities and municipalities within the Visayas regions that needed to be assessed and mapped for geohazard on a scale of 1:10,000, said Juguan.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), DENR deployed geohazard assessment teams composed of geologists from the MGB Central Office and MGB Regions 4-A and B and Region 9 to help Region-6 in the said fast-tracking.
Detailed geohazard mapping (1:10,000) of all cities/municipalities in the country started in 2010 and was targeted to be completed this year. Priorities were reordered in terms of the areas to be mapped to fast-track the geohazard mapping of Yolanda-affected areas.
“One of the important features of the detailed geohazard mapping is that it identifies possible relocation sites,” Juguan said. (LAA, MGB-6)