By JOY R. SEVILLA
ALABEL, Sarangani (November 11, 2013) – The regional office of the Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau (MGB) in Region XII has disclosed the important tool to fight the risks of disaster that affect the different communities in the province.
During the Climate Change Adaptation Sectoral Data Sharing Consultation-Forum with the academe and selected national line agencies held at Kasfala Hall on Thursday (November 7), Jaime
Flores, MGB XII chief geologist, said Sarangani Province is prone to both natural and geo-hazard risks.
“Strengthening the capacity of the local chief executives in the province of Sarangani on the conduct of disaster risk reduction and development planning is the key to reduce the risks of disaster in the communities,” Flores said.
He said 42 barangays in the province are prone to landslides, while 27 are vulnerable to tsunami and storms.
These 27 barangays, he said, are located in the municipalities of Maasim, Kiamba, and Maitum being located along the coast of Celebes Sea where the Cotabato Trench is present and tectonically active.
The municipalities of Alabel and Glan, on the other hand, are free from storm surge due to the position of Sarangani Ridge Line which serves as its protector.
“No one can tell when the typhoon will come, but we can tell how strong it is. Typhoons are forms of hazard and hazard comes because of climate change,” he said.
Meanwhile, Imelda Senobago of the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) said the consultation-forum was a good venue for the local government to gain additional information and relate this information in the analysis of the existing situation, particularly in the sectoral climate change vulnerability assessment.
“One of the objectives of this activity is to understand the role of the academe and national line agencies in research and data gathering. We want to engage the academe and other institutions for an annual research forum for policy development kasi hindi lahat ng researches nila ay kayang gawin ng local government, it will be good kung merong partnership,” she said.
She disclosed that the province faced data constraints in the preparation of in-depth climate change vulnerability assessment particularly in the agri-crop production and fisheries, forestry, biodiversity, coastal and marine and water supply sector thus, the conduct of the activity.
The consultation-forum was participated in by different departments of the local government of Sarangani, Municipal Planning and Development Coordinators, professors from the Mindanao State University (MSU) and national line agencies. (Joy R. Sevilla/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)
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