Local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental were told to develop their masterplan for river basins to mitigate flooding, Jose Roberto Nuñez, director of Office of Civil Defense Region 6, said.
Nuñez, along with other agencies and local officials, led an aerial assessment today, January 15, of northern Negros Occidental, which was ravaged by floods recently.
He said they inspected various major tributaries that usually overflow when heavy rains occur.
Based on his initial observation, there is a need for LGUs to develop their rehabilitation and recovery masterplan for river basins, and that there is a need to address the drainage system.
He said this is a long-term plan to address the problem.
But the immediate solution right now is the “major dredging” of waterways, he stressed.
He said that the cause of the flooding in the third district and other parts of the province recently was the high-volume of water coming from the heavy rains.
He said that field validation is ongoing, and that OCD-6 is expected to come up with their report, which includes their observations and recommendations, about the flooding next week, which will then be submitted to the national government.
He said the LGUs were “very cooperative,” adding that they should be pro-active in disaster preparedness.
The flooding late last week has left more than P50 million in crop and livestock damages, and displaced more than 10,000 families.*