Resettlement of people from areas prone to landslides, a priority – SoLeyte solon

By Erna S. Gorne

Monday 6th of February 2012

MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Feb 6 (PIA8) -- The province of Southern Leyte faces the danger of rain-induced landslides and the immediate solution is to resettle the people from geo-hazard prone areas.

“ I would like to prepare before any untoward incident happens in the province,” Congressman Roger G. Mercado said during a special meeting with the department heads of national line agencies in the province last Saturday.

Mercado showed the geo-hazard map of the province prepared by the Mines and GeoSciences Board (MGB) with color-coded type of hazard and remarked that practically all of the province of Southern Leyte is prone to rain-induced landslides, so it is cause to worry when it rains more than two days in the province.

He said the provincial government is now strongly considering the resettlement of people whose houses are sitting on disaster-waiting-to-happen areas like landslides and floodings.

Mercado said the people should also know the locations for evacuation sites before any calamity happens.

He also disclosed that the National Greening Program (NGP) implemented in the province, a national tree planting program initiated by the Aquino administration is a long-term solution to address the problems on landslides and flooding. Tree-planting, which was a and is a very welcome move since the once lonely project of tree planting is now participated in by several sectors nationwide to include Southern Leyte residents.

Meanwhile, Mercado is getting the list of needed equipment and logistics lacking in the each of the national lines agencies for funding by 2013, he added. (PIA8 – Southern Leyte)