Oro mulls creation of regional special body

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

THE Cagayan de Oro City Council approved on Tuesday a resolution urging President Benigno Aquino III to create a regional special body that will look into the environmental concerns of adjoining provinces and cities in the region.
 
The council also passed a resolution requesting the Regional Development Council (RDC) to favorably support and endorse its proposal.

The two resolutions were mulled after Councilor Ian Mark Nacaya delivered his special report in connection with Aquino's comments to the City Government about the flashflood that hit the city on December 16 that claimed thousands of lives and damaged millions worth of properties in the Cagayan de Oro.
 
Nacaya said it would also be better that an inter-local government unit affairs will be created for the local government to exercise its power to prevent any operation of mining, logging or expansion of pineapple and banana plantations in its localities.
 
"At least the local government unit can act freely and that it would not also be blamed for doing nothing once this regional special body will be created," he said.
 
Earlier, several groups lambasted the City Government for doing nothing to prevent the massive mining and logging in the city, which reportedly contributed to the flashfloods.
 
Aside from mining and logging, reports also came out that the "unusual bulk of water" during the floods was due to the damage of three dams owned by the National Irrigation Administration, Cagayan Electric Power and Light Co. and Rio Verde.
 
This allegation has since been denied by the management of the three dams.

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