LET US LEARN FROM EXAMPLE OF BRGY. CUNSAD, ALIMODIAN

ARE YOU ready for the floods? The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration has officially declared the start of the rainy season.

This early, our mantra should be “manage risks rather than manage dissters”. In the lingo of disaster reduction experts, this is simply called “risk governance.” Local government units (LGUs) must determine if certain risks are prevalent in a community making it vulnerable to the effects of flooding, a landslide, even tsunami, storm surge or earthquake. Local disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation plans must be crafted to address these threats.

A good example is Barangay Cunsad in Alimodian, Iloilo. Perhaps many have already forgotten that fateful day in July 2012. Even when the heavy rains of Typhoon “Gener” triggered major landslides in Cunsad, they recorded zero casualty. Wow!

After a day of rain enhanced by the southwest monsoon, portions of the main road linking Barangay Cunsad to all the other 17 upland barangays of Alimodian collapsed in the morning of July 31, 2012 making it impassable.

The landslide affected 30 hectares more or less in Barangay Cunsad. The road traversing Sitio Pan-itan was the head or the upper portion of the landslide, the slide moving downslope towards the lower portion in Sitio Bugsukan, bringing debris of sandstone, mudstone, siltstone, shale, plant and other concrete materials that chipped off from the road.

Twenty-four houses were situated in the area affected by the landslide. Thankfully, the people immediately evacuated at the first signs of an impending landslide, and no one died or got hurt. This was because, when the natural signs of impending landslide showed up, the municipal government immediately sought the help of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for risk assessment and heeded the advice of geologists to relocate the residents.

Let us learn from the good example of Barangay Cunsad. Alerto!