Saturday, July 01, 2006
Flooding is most common disaster in Region 11
By Barbara Carla R. Quiero
DAVAO CITY -- The Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) said flooding remains to be the most common disaster in the region.
OCD Regional Director Carmelito A. Lupo said Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley, and Davao City are prone to floods.
Based on the agency's disaster incident report in 2005, there were a total of 10 major disasters and 19 minor disasters. Of the major disasters, seven are flood incidents, one dengue outbreak, one sea swelling incident, and one landslide incident.
From January to June 2006, there were seven major disasters and 15 minor disasters. Of the major incidents, six were flood incidents and one landslide incident.
"With July as a rainy month, people should be watchful of flooding, that is also why we are celebrating the National Disaster Consciousness Month in July because this is the month with many occurrences of disasters," Lupo said during a press conference Friday.
Lupo, who is also the executive officers of the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council, said next to flooding is landslide, which is most common in Mount Diwata in Monkayo, in the small-scale mining area in Pantukan, and in hinterland Marilog District in Davao City.
Of the 29 recorded disasters in 2005, 15,350 families were affected. The estimated cost of damages reached P225 million while in January to June 2006, 6,004 families were affected with damages estimated at P68.7 million, Lupo said.
"One culprit of flooding is swelling rivers. During a one-day rain, especially because there are no longer trees in the mountains, there is massive soil erosion that makes rivers shallow until they overflow," he said.
"Floods usually occur in low-lying areas like in Jade Valley na ginawan pa ng community," he added.
According to Lupo, the best solution in flooding is by constructing river dikes at the sides of the rivers as structural mitigation.
"River dikes and education campaigns are solutions," he said. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
(July 1, 2006 issue)
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