Prevention & Mitigation
SENDONG EXPERIENCE
NDRRM Plan
Goal – avoid hazards and mitigate their potential
impacts by reducing vulnerabilities and exposure,
and enhancing capacities of communities
Focus - reducing vulnerabilities and exposure, &
enhancing capacities
DRRM & CCA in policies, plans & budget
Among seriously hit were situated along the rivers
LDRRMC yet to be established at the time of disaster
CLUP
Rational use of CLUP
Integration of DRRM concerns in CLUP
Classifying flood-prone as prohibited or strictly
regulated for settlement
Regulated – to apply stringent building
requirements to withstand impact of strong flood
Easement
Observance of 3 meter river easement under PD
1067 (Philippine Water Code)
No settlements on easement zones
CDO, Iligan, Bukidnon & MisOr are situated in
complex river systems
DRRM Councils
No LDRRMC in many LGUs
RA 10121 adopted in 2010, & takes time to
internalize
CDO yet to convene LDRRMC, hence no DRRM Plan
Iligan had office and personnel, & contingency plan
under the old set up
Barangay DRR structure
Majority of brgys in CDO & Iligan no BDRRMC
Not all BDRRMCs in Iligan are functional
Several brgys in Iligan enforced river easement zone
DRR funds
LGUs confused on the use of ‘disaster fund’
Some officials & finance personnel failed to
understand DRR activities & supplies
CDO approval of its DRR budget came 3 days before
sendong struck
Portions were instead used for ‘lakbay-aral’ activities
irrelevant to disaster concerns
LDRRM officer had difficulty getting his requests
DRRM & CCA sensitive environmental management
Sound environmental management a key to prevent
& mitigate floods
Reforestation
DENR’s reforestation species invited illegal logging
for charcoal & timber, rampant in Mandulong
watershed
Ecoweb NGO also undertaken reforestation project
in Mandulog watershed
Iligan forest cover has dwindled from 10,000 has.
few decades ago to 2,000 has now
Forest depletion
Cut logs scattered in Iligan beach
This happened despites Aquino’s total log ban in
Mindanao
Plantations dot upstream CDO landscape
No shift to agro-forestry (FGD)
Mining concessions cited as cause of deforestation
Disaster resilient infrastructure
DPWH retrofitted CDO bridges
2 bridges collapsed – not clear if the Baungon-CDO,
& Iligan bridges were also retrofitted
Flood control dikes & river wall were constructed in
CDO
Sendong flood breached these dikes
Scientific assessment, mapping and monitoring
Scientific studies & technology could accurately
forecast, assess and monitor impending disasters
They are crucial in saving lives
Geo-Hazard Map
MGB had prepared hazard map for CDO, Iligan,
MisOr & Bukidnon
Copies reached the CDO & Iligan LGUs
No follow-through actions by declaring certain areas
as ‘no habitation zones’ or relocation of residents
Awareness & Dissemination of Researches
XU & others’ geohazard studies failed to reach
decision-makers & public
Survivors knew the risks, but get used to perennial
floods
Did not expect the Sendong scale
Landlessness & livelihood made people lived along
harm’s way
Weather equipment
Mindanao has 2 doppler radars, but needs 3 to
generate local weather forecast
PAG-ASA lacks sufficient team of meteorologists for
24/7 monitoring
Weather bulletins & forecast come through Manila
Early warning system
Early warning a key to DRR to prevent loss of lives &
destruction to properties
Traditional early warning system
At community level, EWS makes a difference in
saving lives
Forms include: color markings of bridge posts, rip-
raps, river post-gause
Markings on CDO bridge were lost when it was
retrofitted
No automated sensing system at the upstream to
alarm downstream dwellers
‘Laymanize’ technical jargons
People knew, rains cause flood
Technical weather jargons fail to alert people of
hazard and its risks
Multi-stakeholder initiative
Government forms river basin & watershed
management council as strategy for environmental
conservation, & disaster prevention and mitigation
LGU gave scant attention & participation to CDO
river basin council led by Archbishop Ledesma
