A 25-member team of geologists from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources left yesterday to conduct geohazard assessment in the Caraga Region.

DENR Secretary Angelo T. Reyes said the team would conduct assessment in 600 identified critical areas in the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, and Surigao del Sur. The team is expected to finish its assessment by July 19.

“We are prioritizing the completion of geohazard assessments in Caraga because this is one of the areas identified to be prone to geologic hazards, particularly to landslides and flashfloods,” Reyes said.

Straddling Caraga is the Philippine Fault that traverses the whole length of eastern Mindanao, making the region prone to earthquake and seismic hazards. Its rugged terrain also makes it susceptible to landslides. The Agusan River Valley that stretches all the way to Davao, Butuan and Surigao also makes the region prone to flashfloods.

From the data that would be gathered by the team, Reyes said his agency would produce 1:50,000 scale geohazard maps that will be distributed to concerned local government units for their use in land-use planning and disaster management.

Reyes, an acknowledged disaster management expert, has particularly identified the completion of geohazard maps as one of his priority programs, saying that “these maps have become a potent tool in preventing the loss of lives and properties.”

“We will provide the 1,300 municipalities with geohazard maps at a scale of 1:50,000 in the next three years. On top of that, we are targeting to provide those areas with very high vulnerability to landslides with the more detailed 1:10,000 scale maps.”

Last month, the DENR-MGB completed the rapid geohazard assessment in the provinces of Leyte and Biliran in Eastern Visayas. The one-month assessment covered 1,341 barangays in Leyte and 132 in Biliran. Of these, 109 barangays in Leyte and 18 in Biliran were identified to be highly prone to landslides.

As of June 15, the DENR-MGB has mapped a total of 247 municipalities. It has also conducted information campaign among local government units and communities, in coordination with the Office of Civil Defense of the National Disaster Coordinating Council.

June 22, 2006