Weather bureau urged to create landslide warning systems

BENGUET OFFICIALS urged the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) to create a system on relating heavy rainfall to possible landslide occurrences in the province to serve as early warning to the community.

Tublay Mayor Ruben Paoad said Pagasa should make such innovation which could predict landslide occurrence in a certain area for early evacuation.

Paoad revealed this during the launching of the disaster preparedness and response program Phase II on Oct. 12 at the Provincial Capitol of Benguet.

He said his town had been isolated because of landslides during the past typhoons like Pepeng. He cited portions of the Halsema Highway are highly vulnerable to landslides.

United Nations World Food Program (UN WFP) Philippine coordinator Michelle McGonagle seconded Paoad. Governor Nestor Fongwan and other town mayors also accepted the suggestion of Paoad.

Tublay is one of the four beneficiaries of the UN WFP disaster preparedness and response program now on its Phase II. The UN WFP sponsored the program identified Atok, Kibungan, Kapangan and Tublay as its beneficiaries with the foreign agency allotting over P20 million to make these towns disaster–ready.

Paoad said the program’s phase I greatly helped the town reduce occurrence of landslides through the production of coffee Arabica within the community.

In phase II, the UN WFP plans to institutionalize the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) emergency operations mechanisms; build the PDRRMC’s capability to plan, gather strategic information, and effectively act during emergencies; raise awareness of disaster preparedness and response; and engage local non – government organizations to boost readiness and resilience of the community.