The Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park (MKNP) Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) en banc has approved a request for Environment Secretary Raphael Lotilla to authorize Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson to issue a special permit to allow private firms to clear lahar sediments from Ibid Creek in Biak-na-Bato, La Castellana.
Lacson, who presided over the MKNP PAMB meeting at the Capitol in Bacolod City on Thursday, Sept. 25, said the request will be forwarded to the secretary’s office, and the board will await a response.
Ibid Creek is located within the MKNP where extraction of materials is prohibited.
If the governor is granted the authority, he can allow private companies to clear Ibid Creek of lahar sediments to prevent flooding, which would hasten the clearing process.
While the initial estimate of the lahar sediments to be cleared was 25,000 cubic meters, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said the volume could be about 100,000 cubic meters, Lacson added.
Lacson said that they have requested a study to determine the amount of lahar sediments in the creek, including an assessment of the area upstream. He stressed that the appropriate agency should be the one to determine the final volume.
The governor also asked the DPWH to redesign the Tamburong Bridge in Biak-na-Bato.
Its current box culvert design is not ideal for the flow of volcanic sediments. The DPWH also recognizes the need to widen the lower area of the bridge, Lacson said.*