Yamsuan pushes passage of hazard mapping law for improved disaster response

Representative Brian Raymund Yamsuan has proposed a measure that aims to mandate the development and issuance by the government of a national disaster map as a means to help save lives and mitigate losses from natural calamities.

Yamsuan said his proposed legislation–House Bill (HB) 11205–provides for the creation of this map, which will contain a list that clearly identifies low-lying areas vulnerable to rising sea levels and communities at high-risk for natural disasters.

“We cannot prevent the occurrences of typhoons, volcanic eruptions and other natural phenomena, aggravated by the added threat of climate change. But it is possible to mitigate their impact by adopting science-based strategies. These include creating a national disaster map that would help communities, especially coastal areas, prepare for, and lessen the devasting effects of these disasters,” Yamsuan said.

Yamsuan said the previous year starkly highlighted the urgency of passing this measure, with the country experiencing a record-breaking severe typhoon season that led to the loss of thousands of lives and massive damages to homes, infrastructure and the agriculture sector.

The economic repercussions of these successive calamities were most felt in the Bicol Region, where the damage to agriculture alone from typhoons Kristine and Leon reached P2.9 billion. This is almost half of the nearly P6 billion total losses reported in the agriculture sector, said Yamsuan, who represents the Bicol Saro Partylist in the Congress.

HB 11205 mandates the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), through the National Mapping and Resources Information Authority (NAMRIA) and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), to provide and issue a national disaster map of the Philippines.

Assisting these agencies in completing the task are the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), Climate Change Commission (CCC) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

The disaster map identifies low-lying areas vulnerable to rising sea levels as a result of climate change; areas of high-risk for natural disasters; and “shall contain proper identification of lands bordering sea levels, exposed to volcanic eruption and lying on earthquake faults.”

Under the bill, the map should also include the criteria for evacuation and illustration of recommended evacuation sites and routes.

Creating the disaster map would not have to start from scratch, given that the MGB already has a geohazard map in place that pinpoints vulnerable areas in the country, Yamsuan said.

He said information sources in creating the disaster map should not be limited to scientific instrument-based data, but should also utilize a holistic approach by including, among others, indigenous peoples’ knowledge.

The bill provides for a nationwide information drive; training programs for local officials, disaster response teams and community leaders; and other similar efforts to ensure the disaster map’s accessibility and proper use.