Senate hopefuls vow ‘long-term’ measures for disaster resilience

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos

April 22, 2022, 7:40 pm

<p><em>(File photo)</em></p>

(File photo)

MANILA – Senatorial aspirants Rey Langit and Astra Pimentel on Friday sought “preventive and long-term” legislative measures to ensure the country’s resilience and preparedness when disasters strike.

Langit vowed to push for the passage of measures that would help minimize the detrimental effects of typhoons even as he expressed grief over the casualties and damage in Leyte province and other parts of the country left by Tropical Depression Agaton.

Alam naman po natin na ang bansa natin ay laging tinatamaan ng bagyo at malalakas pa kadalasan. Kailangan na lumikha tayo ng batas na magpapahina sa epekto ng bagyo sa ating bansa (We are all aware that our country is always battered by strong typhoons. We need to craft a measure that would minimize the impact of the typhoons on our country),” the broadcast journalist said in a statement.

Langit also promised to push for measures that would implement “rational land-use planning and improved standards for road construction” to reduce landslide risk.

In another statement, Pimentel said it is necessary to promote intensive reforestation to prevent massive landslides.

Totoo po itong climate change at kumilos na dapat tayo dahil tayo ang higit na naaapektuhan dahil lagi tayong dinadaanan ng mga bagyo. Mas pina-igting na reforestation po ang isa sa epektibo at kailangan na gawin at ‘yan po ay itutulak ko sa Senado (Climate change is real and we need to take necessary steps, especially because our country is prone to typhoons. If elected to the Senate, I will push for an improved reforestation),” she said.

Pimentel noted that the maintenance and preservation of forest cover are vital in reducing the possibility of landslides in high-risk areas in the country.

Ang pag-aalaga po sa ating kagubatan, kasama na ang pagprotekta sa ating biodiversity, ang tututukan po natin sa Senado. Wala na dapat pang mawalan ng buhay dahil sa ating kapabayaan sa kalikasan (Protecting the forest and biodiversity will be among our priorities in the Senate. No one should die anymore because of our failure to take care of the nature),” she said.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s latest update said 178 people died, 111 are missing, and eight were injured in the aftermath of “Agaton’s” onslaught.

The estimated cause of damage to agriculture in Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has reached PHP257,025,441.06.

About 11,300 houses in the Bicol region, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Davao region, Soccsksargen, and Caraga were destroyed. (PNA)

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