The government will be implementing a “no build zone” along the shoreline of Tacloban City as it plans to put up a 40-meter easement on the area to prevent storm surge from causing damages both to people and properties.
At a press briefing, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director Undersecretary Eduardo del Rosario said that the government is planning to establish mangroves in the 40-meter easement to address threat from storm surge.
Del Rosario stressed that no residents will be allowed to stay within the 40-meter easement.
“The first step will be to declare the 40-meter easement as no build zone,” Del Rosario said.
“The easement is defined 40-meter from the shoreline. Residents won’t be allowed anymore to occupy that 40-meter easement. It will be planted with mangroves because per study conducted, mangroves can decrease by 70 percent the strength of storm surge,” Del Rosario added.
Strong winds brought about by super typhoon “Yolanda” resulted in more than 10-meter high storm surge along the shoreline of Tacloban City, causing deaths to more than 2,000 people in the city alone last Nov. 8.
“Letting our settlers to still occupy that 40-meter easement would mean putting them into another risk,” Del Rosario said.
According to Del Rosario, coordination is now ongoing among various government agencies for the establishment of the easement.
“We are now coordinating with local government units so that this will be enforced, and we really have to make the coordination with the LGUs because they are our partners in the implementation of this easement,” Del Rosario said.
Meanwhile, the NDRRMC executive director announced that a total of 116 bunkhouses have already been built by the Department of Public Works and Highways in Leyte and Samar provinces.
Del Rosario said that 10 bunkhouses were put up in Tacloban City; 11 in Palo, Leyte; 18 in Basey, Samar; 18 in Marabut, also in Samar; 26 in Guiuan, 30 in Hernani and three in Giporlos also in Eastern Samar province.
“(These are) long buildings with partitions and centralized kitchens and comfort rooms. They have provisions for health facilities,” Del Rosario said.
As of yesterday, the NDRRMC reported an increased in the damage cost by “Yolanda” which stood at P24.54 billion.
Source: Daily Tribune
http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/gov-t-to-implement-no-build-zone-along-tacloban-shoreline
