Former Finance Sec. Gary Teves is encouraging local govenrment units to make the necessary precautions to prevent disasters from happening again, especially with the onset of the rainy season and the continued tremors felt on the island.
“Let us be more proactive in preparing our communities to minimize the potential damage that natural calamities could still cause,” he said.
Teves made the call as the Philippine Institute of Volcanology & Seismology reported a magnitude 3.4 earthquake in Dumaguete at 11:20 pm on July 8, followed by magnitude 3.1 quakes in Guihulngan City at 12:56 am, and in Canlaon City at 8:55am, both on July 9.
Teves, who was also the former chair of the Special National Public Reconstruction Commission created in the aftermath of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng in 2009, said that the recent quakes remind us that on top of rehabilitation and construction efforts in the 1st District, government also needs to put in measures that would reduce potential damages, should another strong earthquake occur in Negros Oriental.
This is even if Phivolcs said the recent tremors were not as strong as the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit on Feb. 6.
Teves added that Okoy River is also at risk of overflowing its banks once again due to frequent rains.
He said that more than the rechanneling and dredging of our rivers, local authorities should also consider moving people away from these bodies of water.
“It seems that the more sensible and economical view is to work with the river, rather than against it. Reduction of flood damage no longer depends on dikes and other means of flood control because of the unpredictable force and amount of water that the rainy season could bring,” he said.
