With super typhoons bringing greater  destruction to lives and properties, local government units should now consider using geohazard mapping as a major component in planning their municipalities,  senatorial candidate  Juan Miguel Zubiri said yesterday.

Geohazard mapping indicates areas that are vulnerable to floods and landslides,  as determined by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, a press release from Zubiri’s office said.

"Let us use the geohazard maps as guides for LGU's on how they should plan their municipalities especially when allowing the construction of community sites,"  Zubiri said.

“Knowledge is power. We may not be able to prevent  or avoid typhoons and other natural disasters but we could mitigate the destruction if we use the information and technology available to us,” he said in the press release.

One mitigation measure is to ban the construction of housing settlements in high-risk areas as  shown by the geohazard maps.

He reminded LGUs that they have police power vested under the Disaster Management and Preparedness Act to prevent loss of lives and properties  especially during natural disasters.

Zubiri said Congress should pass once and for all the National Land Use Act to define the proper use of land and our natural resources.

Zubiri is now assessing the effects of Pablo in his home province of Bukidnon which for the first time in 60 years directly hit by a typhoon.*

back to top