The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will intensify this year certain measures to massively reduce damage to the environment and human casualties brought about by landslides caused by torrential rains.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the DENR last year to complete a PhP90-million (US$1.76million) geohazard mapping program covering at least half the towns in the Philippines within three years. The President issued the order after the rain-triggered landslide buried more than one thousand people in Guinsaugon, Southern Leyte.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Angelo T. Reyes said the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) will continue its intensified geohazard mapping, close monitoring of landslide-prone areas and all mining activities throughout the country.

MGB teams have prioritized the survey of critical areas posing deadly threats due to landslides and earthquakes, floods, typhoons, volcanic eruptions, liquefaction and other natural hazards. These natural disasters kill about 500 Filipinos every year.

The geohazard mapping has gained international support with the Japan International Cooperating Agency (JICA) donating geohazard equipment, a vehicle and information materials to help boost the department’s rapid geohazard assessment activities.

The MGB assessment team concluded in 2006 the geohazard assessment in Leyte and Biliran provinces, notably the barangays located on footslopes, midslopes and mountain ridges.

Geohazard assessment team leader Antonio Apostol said a total of 1,341 barangays of Leyte province were assessed with the following results:

• 117 barangays have high landslide susceptibility;
• 240 barangays have moderate landslide susceptibility;
• 245 barangays have low landslide susceptibility; and
• 739 barangays are not susceptible to landslide.

Assessment in the 132 barangays in Biliran province also resulted as follows:

• 18 barangays have high landslide susceptibility;
• 45 barangays have moderate landslide susceptibility;
• 34 barangays have low landslide susceptibility; and
• 35 barangays are not susceptible to landslides.

The team has also identified a total of 155 barangays in the CARAGA region as landslide-prone areas. These include 33 barangays in Agusan del Norte, 35 in Agusan del Sur, 45 in Surigao del Norte, and 53 in Surigao del Sur. (DENR-PAO)

January 17 , 2006