Aquino mulls implementation of total log ban policy nationwide
LEGASPI CITY, Albay: Amid continuous rains that caused massive flooding and landslides in several areas in the country, President Benigno S. Aquino III said he is studying the implementation of a total log ban policy nationwide.
“There must be a long-term intervention to all these flooding. Actually I’m thinking of a total log ban everywhere in the country,” the President said during the briefing on the extent of damage wrought by the continuous rain in Albay the past 22 days.
The Chief Executive arrived here early Friday morning (7:10a.m.) to oversee the extent of damage and check on the progress of the concerned agencies on the ground in assisting the affected residents.
Studies show that a total log ban policy in all primary forests not only abate the effect of climate change but also prevent flooding because trees prevent sediment runoff and forests hold and use more water than farms on grasslands.
The prolong rainfall in Albay and Sorsogon provinces in the Bicol region damaged lives, properties and vital infrastructures prompting the President to order the Department of Public Works and Highways to repair or replace damaged infrastructures the soonest possible time.
He also ordered the Department of Social Welfare and Development to assist the 3,199 farmers whose crops were destroyed by the rains, the economically displaced households, and continued assistance to evacuees.
The President also said the replacement or augmentation of Albay’s calamity fund will be studied.
At the same time, the President congratulated the local government officials, military, and other concerned agencies for their timely force evacuation efforts that saved lives.
He noted that what his administration has been doing for the past seven months has “empowered us to be able to assist the people.”
During his visit, the President also turned over relief goods that included relief packs, hygiene and first aid kits to the Albay governor.
For his part, Albay Governor Joey Salceda expressed his gratitude to the President for taking time out from his busy schedule to visit Albay.
Salceda said the President gave immediate resolution to his appeal for support to non-evacuated economically displaced households totaling some 4,241 as well as to the displaced farmers.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, in a report to the President, said the damage to property, infrastructure and agriculture caused by floods and landslides in parts of Bicol, Visayas and Mindanao in the last two weeks has reached P1.2 billion, while displaced families totaled 262,107 or 1,355,229 persons.
Death toll has reached 42, eight injured and five missing. (PCOO)
Aquino distributes livelihood assistance to calamity victims in St. Bernard
ST. BERNARD, Southern Leyte: President Benigno S. Aquino III on Friday personally distributes livelihood assistance and relief goods to the affected families of mudslides and flashfloods here as a result of weeklong torrential rains in Region 8.
Immediately after his visit in Legaspi City in Albay, the President proceeded to the St. Bernard Central School which is being used as a evacuation center, to inspect the conditions of the evacuees and assess the impact of the twin calamities that hit the region, especially here and neighboring Samar province.
After leading the disaster risk reduction management meeting on the effects of flooding in Southern Leyte, he led the distribution of relief goods and assorted vegetable and rice seeds to 220 evacuee-families or 953 individuals of Barangays Ma. Socorro, Malibago & Himatagon.
According to St. Bernard Mayor Rico Rentuza, majority of the affected families were farmers who need immediate livelihood assistance.
He said St. Bernard has 18 evacuation centers that house a total of 1,500 families or 7,500 persons affected by the flooding and mudslides.
St Bernard Central School is one of the three major evacuation centers. The other two are the Cristo Rey Regional High School with 66 families or 244 individuals, and the New Guinsaugon Elementary School with 215 families or 774 individuals.
Office of Civil Defense Regional Director Angel Gaviola reported to the President that since January 1, the province has experienced torrential rains and recorded some 400 to 500 millimeters of rainfall due to the tail end of the cold front (TECF) in the Eastern Visayas Region
Also present during the disaster risk management briefing were Southern Leyte Governor Damian Mercado and lone district Representative Roger Mercado.
Joining the President in his visit here were Presidential Spokesperson Atty. Edwin Lacierda, Social Worker and Development Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, and National Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin. (PCOO)
Aquino says heads will roll in drive vs illegal loggers
BUTUAN CITY, Agusan del Norte: President Benigno S. Aquino III assured Friday that heads will roll in the government drive against illegal logging.
Speaking after the turn over ceremonies of agricultural inputs, health and medical supply and food packs as part of the government’s assistance to the victims of flooding and landslides, here, the President said he will issue an Executive Order on Monday to address the problem.
“Ako po ay parang may pagka-bulldog, tenacious…interesado ako dito hindi ko ho lulubayan ito hanggang magkaroon ng solusyon na agaran at tama”, he said.
The President bared there are six provinces where illegal logging is rampant.
He said that the justice department, together with the interior and local government department, is conducting studies on the matter.
“Iiwan ko po muna sa justice department dahil inaaral na rin nila ito together with the local government department. Marami tayong pwedeng i-charge diyan katulad po ng damage to infrastructure, meron din economic sabotage na aspect diyan when you keep on destroying the public infrastructure because of this wanton cutting of our forests”, the President said.
“Ang habol natin dito ay ang katiyakan na kung may gumawa ng kasalanan may kaparusahan”, he added.
The Chief Executive reiterated the importance of cooperation from local government units (LGUs) in addressing environmental abuse.
He said that upon the recommendation of the Environment and Natural Resources department, saw mills that have no clear and visible supply of logs should be closed and not be given permits.
When asked on the possible penalties to be meted at erring perpetrators of illegal logging, the Chief Executive assured that once proven guilty, they will be sanctioned with appropriate penalties.
The recent devastation in the areas of Southern Leyte, Bicol and CARAGA due to continuous rains brought by the tail end of the cold front was estimated to reach 1.5 billion pesos. (PCOO)
Government resumes talks with MILF on Feb. 9
The government peace panel will resume peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front on Feb. 9 following the completion of initial discussions in Malaysia. The government panel just planed in Friday from Malaysia for the initial discussions there.
Chief government negotiator, lawyer Marvic Leonen said Friday that he would brief his principals first on what was agreed upon in the meeting he just came from.
He said the discussion in Malaysia Thursday is that both parties are ready and eager to resume the talks.
The International Monitoring Team (IMT) tour of duty ends on Feb 28 but both camps have agreed that the IMT will stay. “We will talk about the formalities of extending the IMT’s mandate during the talks,” Leonen said.
He said the IMT is very important because it keeps the conflict in Mindanao to the barest minimum, which this year reached only 10 recorded conflicts between the MILF and the military.
Another reason for extending the term of IMT is the security guarantees for the MILF leaders, as agreed upon in 2001, which is to augment the security guarantee both camps will be issued identification cards.
He said any discussions on the agenda must have to be done solely on the negotiating table and that the talks in Malaysia did not exclusively tackle the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD). The MOA-AD was earlier struck down by the Supreme Court.
Leonen said both parties are calling the negotiations in February as the 20th exploratory meeting.
The MILF, he said, gave the government the list of 25 detainees they refer to as “political detainees” and we have committed to review their cases but it does not preclude that “we will be releasing them as of now.”
He said the Philippine government is committed to give justice to the victims and their survivors of past atrocities committed by these detainees.
He said the peace talks with MILF is very broad and “we are putting on the table the items that should be in the agenda. He said a concrete agenda was crafted in Malaysia but he would not give details neither would he confirm if the issue on the MOA-AD will be in the agenda.
Leonen said both parties agree that terrorism, including kidnap for ransom, is not part of the accepted activities.
He said that as chair of the negotiating panel and for the talks to proceed smoothly he is committed to good faith and that means that items to be discussed in the negotiations must only be disclosed to both panels first before going to the public. (PCOO)
Aquino wants further study on proposals and plans for infrastructure repair and rehab
ORMOC CITY: President Benigno S. Aquino III ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to collate all proposals and plans for the rehabilitation of infrastructures damaged by calamities.
In a press conference Friday afternoon at the Ormoc City Airport here, the President said he wanted to make sure that all infrastructures subject for repair and rehabilitation will not be hit again by landslide and floods in the near future.
Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, according to him has been tasked to consolidate and validate all proposals and plans conducted by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and experts from local government units before repairing damaged infrastructures.
He noted that in Eastern Visayas, Southern Leyte and Samar were identified as low risk but still hit by the landslide and floods during the weeklong torrential rains. (PCOO)
Aquino offers releif goods to Butuan calamity victims
BUTUAN CITY, Agusan del Norte: President Benigno S. Aquino III turned over relief goods consisting of farm inputs, medical supplies and food packs to victims of floods and landslides, here at the last stop of his visit to regions ravaged by the continuous rains brought by the tail end of the cold front the past weeks.
The President handed certificates of turn over to respective local officials of Butuan City and the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur that were inundated by floods and affected by landslides.
Apart from the assistance in kind, the Chief Executive also awarded a check worth P437,400 for the DOLE emergency employment program of Butuan City.
For Agusan del Sur, four checks worth P656,100 were given by the President for the municipalities of Prosperidad, Veruela, Sta. Josefa and Loreto.
Two checks worth of P437,400 for the islands of Siargao and Dinagat in Surigao del Norte and three checks totaling to P510,300 for the dole emergency employment program of the municipalities of Barobo and Tandag in Surigao del Sur were also distributed.
The financial assistance was intended to address the short term requirement in social services through job restoration of head and able members of the affected families in rural works program.
Caraga Region was seriously damaged by the flooding which took 23 lives and affected 100,453 families. Three hundred fifty houses were totally damaged while at least 165 million pesos worth of agriculture and 457 million worth of infrastructure were destroyed.
The local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), national government agencies and private sector provided immediate response through pre-emptive evacuation, Search and Rescue (SAR), relief and medical assistance to flood stricken areas.
Removal and cleaning of debris as well as immediate repair of impassable road sections were also done.
President Aquino has directed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to assess the repair and rehabilitation of infrastructures in the area.
The President congratulated the local officials, the private sector and national government agencies for the concerted efforts in mitigating the effects of the disaster in the region.
Earlier, the Chief Executive also visited Legazpi in Albay and Southern Leyte, which were also stricken by floods. He also distributed assistance to the victims in the area. (PCOO)
