Belgium and UNDP help Albay resettle 150 families out of harm’s way, more to follow

LEGAZPI CITY, Sept. 1 (PIA) -- The Albay provincial government has recently transferred about 150 families from flood and landslide prone areas to newly constructed abodes in two resettlement sites in Pioduran and Manito towns, in a continuous effort to ‘move people out of harm’s way’ under its disaster risk reduction program

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said based on new risk maps and the recommendations of the Philippine Institue of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) and the Mines and GeoSciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Albay has to move out about 1,973 families from vulnerable areas, flash flood and landslide prone, around Mayon volcano.

Salceda said the recently finished two core shelter community projects, complete with electrical installation and water facilities were funded by the Belgian government, the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), housing 70 families in Joroan, Tiwi town and 80 in barangay Caratagan, in Pioduran.

Belgian Ambassador Christian Meerschmar and UNDP country director Renaud Meyer opened the sites last August 25. More sites have been identified for the construction of resettlement homes under the Bicol recovery program.

Salceda said Albay is also set to adapt enhanced risk reduction measures to secure its ‘zero casualty goal’ during disasters, focused on; further relocation of people from new high risk areas due to geomorphologic changes in the Mayon slopes, enhanced defense structures for medium risk critical resources, and elevated – lahar-resilient – road network to ensure continuous mobility of economy and of people during crisis.

The ‘zero - casualty’ goal through preemptive evacuation during disasters was pioneered by Salceda, and is a continuous battle cry in Albay. This was adapted later by other local government units and the national government.

The governor said recent typhoons that hit the province prompted the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) to redraw vulnerability maps. Heavy rains have triggered massive lahar avalanches that took new routes and hit areas that were previously deemed safe.

He said the PDRRMC is seriously studying the recommendations of the Phivolcs’ Quick Reaction Team which recently investigated the impacts of, among others, Typhoon Juaning to Mayon Volcano and the province as a whole. Salceda has requested Phivolcs to conduct an investigation on why previously declared safe areas had been hard hit by flashfloods and landslides.

Disaster experts now have to reconsider new strategies, redraw Albay’s disaster map, and identify new high risk areas and population, thus the need for more resettlement sites, Salceda said. (MAL, PIA V/LGU Albay)

Rainwater collectors to be installed in different areas in Sorsogon 2nd district
by Harry E. Deri

GUBAT, Sorsogon, September 1 -– With the recurring climatic problem the country is experiencing now due to the changing climate and global warming, the government is faced with great demands to hasten implementation of programs and projects that will at least mitigate the effects of this changing phenomena.

According to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Sorsogon 2nd District Engr. Juanito R. Alamar, the dwindling supply of water and the El Nino phenomena can undeniably be attributed to the changing climate, thus, the government include in its program alongside Disaster Risk Reduction and Management certain measures that would deal with the problem on water supply and the El Nino phenomenon.

“To address this pressing dilemma, Republic Act 6716 otherwise known as “The Rainwater Collection System Law (RWCS) was crafted and passed into law by our legislators,” said Alamar.

He said RA 6716 authorizes DPWH to construct water wells, springs and rainwater collectors, being the infrastructure agency of the government that has the institutional capacity and technical know-how in the planning and implementation of such projects.

“The RWCS is to be installed in public sites or most especially in the public schools where was scarcity of water or has no supply of water," he added.

Meanwhile, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) where joint responsibilities of the two agencies will be spelled out will be executed between DPWH-Sorsogon 2nd District Engineering Office and Department of Education (DepEd) through the principal of the recipient school.

As stated in the MOA, the DepEd aside from its specific tasks will maintain the cleaning of the RWCS and ensure its effectiveness as water storage for school/domestic/emergency use.

On the other hand, the DPWH, aside from its specific tasks shall assist the DepEd in providing technical support and advisory services. It is also tasked to monitor DepEd’s compliance of the RA 6716 and the submission of status of monthly accomplishment report on the effectiveness of the RWCS.

“Residents of the identified Barangays and students of the recipient schools will surely benefit from the project once the RWCS is installed in their respective areas,” said Alamar. (MAL/BAR/HED, DPWH-S2DEO)

Jeepney and Tricycle Drivers snub transport strike in Naga City
by Lizel S. Macatangay

NAGA City, Sept. 1 (PIA) -- Its business as usual for the transport sector here who decided not to heed the call of Condor-Piston-Bicol for the nationwide Welgang Transportasyon at Protesta ng Mamamayan staged Aug. 31 in Camarines Sur and in most parts of the country.

Raffy Doque, PISTON president, stood firm on his decision not to join the transport strike after an expected consultation with the rest of the protesters failed to materialize.

“The welfare of our members comes first before any other things and one of my obligations as their president is to help them find ways on how they can provide food on their table- and that is by allowing them to work,” Doque said in an interview.

Doque was referring to the long weekend where there was less number of commuters, aggravated by two consecutive non-working holidays causing the driver’s failure to reach their daily quotas. He also said that there was no prior consultation with regards to the aforementioned concerns before the actual transport strike.

Jeepney drivers plying the routes of Magsaysay, Panganiban , Del Rosario and Concepcion continued serving the commuters yesterday, including tricycle drivers who went in and out of the city’s main thoroughfares. The same scenario holds true to those jeepneys regularly traversing the Canaman, Camaligan, Magarao, Calabanga and Tinambac routes where commuters were given a ride.

Meanwhile, commuters from the towns of Pili, Ragay, Libmanan, Lagonoy, Partido Area, Iriga City and its neighboring municipalities felt the effect of the protest with the absence of public utility jeepneys, vans and buses. Only private vehicles and motorcycles were seen steering their way during the day. In general, the protesters were able to paralyze almost 70 percent of the transportation within the province of Camarines Sur.

Most of the schools and universities announced the suspension of their classes in anticipation of the big bulk of students who cannot make it to their classes.

Condor –Piston-Bikol in a statement stated that the transport strike is not meant to dishearten the riding public but to convey their plea to the government. They are clamoring for the a one-time, big-time P9 rollback, scrapping of oil deregulation law and the removal of the 12 percent EVAT in oil and other petroleum products. (MAL/LSM, PIA Camarines Sur)