• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Concerned groups have urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as well as the Negros Occidental provincial government to conduct a comprehensive and transparent investigation on the root causes of landslide at Mt. Kanlaon and the flashfloods in the downstream communities.
In an open letter, LC Outdoors Mountaineering Club and allied organizations, the concerned residents of La Castellana and neighboring towns and cities, called for an immediate and decisive action, noting also the potential roles of illegal logging, quarrying operations, and any issuance of permit within the protected area.
“Recent events have demonstrated the severe vulnerability of our communities,” they said.
The groups pointed out “the accumulation of volcanic sediments on the slopes, uprooted trees, stones combined with heavy rainfall, and dangerous mudflows that sweep down the rivers, destroying property, farmland and posing an extreme risk to human life”.
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office pegged the damage in both agriculture and infrastructures at almost P2 billion, with about 70 fatalities.
The groups also called for a strict enforcement of environmental regulations within the Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park, stressing that the preservation and restoration of vegetation on the hillsides are essential to bind the soil and act as a natural barrier against erosion.
They also recommended the assessment and improvement of existing infrastructure, especially drainage channels and river systems, to ensure they can manage high volume flows of water and debris, strengthening the early warning systems, actionable evacuation plans for residents in high-risk, low-lying areas and mountain slopes, and allocation of resources for disaster response and recovery.
“The safety and well-being of the people of Bago City, La Castellana, La Carlota in Negros Occidental, and Canlaon City in Negros Oriental depend on proactive governance and sustainable environmental management,” they further said. | GB
