• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Bacolod local government and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Negros Island Region will partner to conduct river and coastal profiling, characterization and vulnerability assessment, involving six major rivers and three creeks in the highly-urbanized city.
The assessment is part of the city’s updating of its Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) and Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) to support sustainable urban development, disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and environmental protection.
The updating of the CLUP and CDP requires sectoral and special area studies under the environment sector, including the profiling of major rivers like the Mandalagan, Banago, Lupit, Magsungay, Tangub, and Sum-ag rivers, and the Mambuloc, Pahanocoy, and Cabalagnan creeks, as well as the assessment of coastal areas within Bacolod, the proposed memorandum of agreement states.
It added that the city government shall provide financial assistance to the DENR-NIR in the conduct of the profiling and vulnerability assessment of rivers and creeks in Bacolod.
The DENR shall conduct these activities and provide technical assistance through a duly-created Technical Working Group, composed of personnel from the DENR Negros Island and Siquijor Region, PENRO Negros Occidental, and CENRO Bago City.
The TWG “shall ensure that all outputs are consistent with existing DENR policies, standards, and guidelines and shall submit progress updates and a terminal technical report to the city for integration into the CLUP and CDP.”
Mayor Greg Gasataya has been authorized by the Sangguniang Panlungsod to sign the MOA with the activities to be implemented in six months. | CGC
