• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Amid growing concerns over climate-related disasters and rising government expenditures on flood control projects, Negros Occidental Third District Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez filed House Resolution No. 432 on Monday.
The resolution urges the committees on disaster resilience, climate change, and sustainable development goals to conduct a joint inquiry into the state of climate risk and vulnerability in the Negros Island Region (NIR), especially Negros Occidental.
The proposed inquiry aims to evaluate the current and proposed adaptation measures and recommends the adoption of nature-based solutions and climate-resilient strategies in line with the country’s sustainable development goals.
“When it comes to survival, spending more doesn’t always mean doing better,” Benitez said in a statement.
While the Philippine government spends hundreds of billions of pesos on disaster risk reduction and flood control projects each year, the neophyte lawmaker noted that losses and damage from natural hazards average only around P50 billion.
“We are spending far more than what nature inflicts, which tells us one thing. We need smarter, more sustainable solutions,” Benitez said.
The resolution cites findings from the World Risk Index 2024, which ranks the Philippines as the most disaster-prone country in the world with a score of 46.9, emphasizing its extreme exposure and vulnerability to climate hazards such as typhoons, flooding, and sea-level rise.
It also highlights the recent devastation of Typhoon Tino, which left 66 people dead across Negros Island, including 52 in Negros Occidental, and affected more than 134,000 residents across 31 local government units.
The widespread damage to critical infrastructure such as roads, bridges, power, water, and telecommunications, severely hampered local response and recovery efforts.
Benitez underscored the need to explore nature-based solutions such as reforestation, mangrove restoration, and watershed management, alongside the use of data-driven tools like Project NOAH to strengthen communities and reduce disaster vulnerabilities.
The measure seeks to promote evidence-based, climate-responsive governance and improve adaptive capacities across local governments in the Negros Island Region, aligning national and local initiatives toward a more resilient and sustainable future. | GB
