Philippines: Disaster council to inspect hazard-prone areas in Negros Oriental

Dumaguete City - The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council is set to visit towns and cities here for an ocular inspection of hazard-prone areas across the province.

The inspection is in line with the council's provincial disaster risk reduction management plan which is expected to be completed by the end of this month, said Provincial Planning and Development Officer Joy Gongob.

Gongob, speaking in a briefing attended by the media and information officers of the different local government units here, disclosed that said plan not only will address natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and landslide but also AH1N1, Avian Flu and even oil spills.

"The plan is still in the process of finalization but it will be ready within this month once it has been approved by the Provincial Development Council," she said.

Fourteen LGUs in the province have been identified as flood-prone, namely: Vallehermoso, Guihulngan, La Libertad, Tayasan, Bindoy, Manjuyod, Bais, Tanjay City, Zamboanguita, Siaton, Sta. Catalina, Bayawan City, Basay and Dumaguete City.

Gongob likewise cited that the province is also a volcanic and landslide-hazard prone area due to the presence of Canlaon Volcano, which has been classified by the PHIVOLCS as active.

Data from Phivolcs presented by Gongob during the briefing showed that the country sits on what has been called as the "Ring of Fire" with active faults cutting across the province.

An active fault is described as an earthquake generator due to fractures on the Earth's surface where rock movement has taken place and earthquakes have been produced.

Aside from this, Gongob said the Philippines is bounded by major plates - the Eurasian and the Pacifi plates on both sides while at the bottom is the Australian plate.

Gongob likewise disclosed that the council is eyeing the purchase of one bomb suit, costing "millions of pesos", which will be used by trained personnel in detonating bombs.

This is in view of the recent series of bomb threats that rocked several parts of the city in the past month. (PIA/RMN)