Villagers in 21 Central Luzon towns warned on geo-hazards

BY GEORGE TRILLO

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The Mines and Geosciences Bureau has alerted barangay heads in 21 towns in five Central Luzon provinces on specific natural dangers their communities are facing this rainy season.

Geologist Orlando Pineda, chief of MGB’s geology division, said his personnel asked barangay chiefs to sign advisories his office furnished them to make sure they were fully informed about the geo-hazards.

“It cannot be said that they were not warned beforehand,” he added.

Pineda said the advisories contained geographical coordinates with barangay halls or schools as reference points “so that everything would be clear.”

“They also identify which parts of the barangays are safe enough for use as evacuation centers,” he said.

Pineda said the MGB completed its geo-hazard mapping of barangays in Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinulungan, Dipaculao, Ma. Aurora, Baler, San Luis, and Dingalan in Aurora province; Floridablanca, Mabalacat, Mexico, and Porac in Pampanga; Munoz and Sto. Domingo in Nueva Ecija; Hermosa and parts of Dinalupihan in Bataan; and san Marcelino, Castillejos, Sta.Cruz, Botolan, and San Narciso in Zambales.

Pineda said the MGB still has to survey more areas in Central Luzon, after which a comprehensive geo-hazard will be drawn up.

Pineda said most of the identified flood-prone areas are near rivers, although surveyed communities in Aurora face threats of both flash floods and landslides.

He said that in San Marcelino, Castillejos, Sta. Cruz, Botolan and San Narciso towns in Zambales, the threats from rivers are significant because these channels are heavily clogged by lahar debris from Mt. Pinatubo.

“Our office is open to request for seminars in threatened areas so people would be more aware of the risks they are facing. We also have information and education materials ready for them,” he said.

Pineda said his agency is coordinating with other government agencies to determine the number of residents in these communities.