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ELAC, LSU to assist risk areas near Guinsaugon |
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Saturday, 17 June 2006 |
ST. BERNARD, Southern Leyte—In the wake of the February 17 landslide that has left 135 people dead and 1,600 still missing under 30 feet of mud, ELAC and its partner scientists from the Leyte State University (LSU) presented a plan to the municipal government to prevent similar future tragedies.
The team has offered to assist the local government units (LGUs) of St. Bernard and Liloan in geo-hazard mapping and constructive legislation, which will lead to the declaration of high-risk areas in the province as protected areas. The proposal is a long-term measure that complements proposals from other NGOs focused on rehabilitation and temporary relocation for the victims of the landslide.
The 263 Guinsaogon survivors are temporarily housed at the Christo Rey Regional High School and undergoing trauma de-briefing with the Department of Social Welfare and Development. A total of 4,000 individuals from St. Bernard’s 13 barangays are now distributed among seven evacuation centers, while another 327 individuals from two other villages in the town of Liloan have also evacuated, mostly staying with relatives and friends. At the moment, it has not been determined how long they will be staying in the evacuation centers.
Since many of the 263 surviving victims are now resigned that no more survivors can be found, the provincial governor wants to shift the focus from search and rescue operations to real rehabilitation work for the Guinsaugon survivors and residents of high-risk areas identified by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).
Several NGOs are currently in the area providing aid. However, there is still a need for the different assisting organizations to coordinate with each other to avoid duplication of efforts, and effectively respond to the real needs of the survivors. They are also waiting for a concrete plan from the government on the relocation of families living in the high-risk areas.
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