Sipalay Mayor Maria Gina Lizares met with personnel from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Western Visayas March 12 on the planned conduct of karst subsidence hazard mapping and coastal vulnerability assessment.
The karst hazard mapping, to be conducted by senior geologist Shimpei Francisco, aims to determine the subsidence susceptibility of an area due to sinkhole development and/or cave collapse, particularly in selected government infrastructures, such as schools, roads, health centers, evacuation centers, and other priority areas identified by concerned local government units.
The MGB team, led by supervising geologist Adeline Grace Torreda, with Francisco, senior geologist Adrial Nichol Lizada, and geologic aide Jose Larry Braña, will conduct assessments, interviews, tests, and surveys in coastal barangays of the city to track signs of erosion and accretion, and observe the presence of coastal environments.
The output of the coastal vulnerability assessment is vital for the development and updating of disaster risk and planning activities, such as the climate and disaster risk assessment and city land use plan while the karst subsidence hazard mapping is part of the national geohazards assessment and mapping program of the MGB, a press release from the city said.
The MGB team will be assisted by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, City Environment and Natural Resources Office, and the Liga ng mga Barangay.
The Cenro, meanwhile, is holding a three-day refresher training course for the Bantay Palibot brigade until March 14, at the New Government Center of Sipalay.
Day 1 lectures consisted of updates on local ordinances and other environment-related laws, provincial mining ordinance, DENR thrusts, mandates and programs, and Philippine environment laws, among others. ||
