Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Saturday urged the government to intensify further its crackdown against illegal logging, adding that protecting the environment could go a long way in reducing impact of natural disasters.
Go said that the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has already ordered the crackdown on illegal logging and mining, in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
“DILG Secretary Eduardo Año has already ordered the crackdown on illegal logging and mining in coordination with the DENR,” Go said in Filipino.
“We should intensify this campaign to protect the environment, especially the mountains. We should plant trees because this will protect us from flooding,” he added.
Go then urged the government to fully implement and intensify its campaign against illegal activities related to logging and quarrying.
“The municipalities at the foot of the mountains will be affected once the mountains are denuded. I’m urging the government, those at the executive branch, to please fully implement measures to stop illegal logging. Let’s fight this, let’s finish it, including the illegal quarrying,” he urged.
A nationwide crackdown on illegal logging and illegal quarrying was launched by DILG on Monday after a string of typhoons that caused massive flooding in many areas in the country. DILG also directed local government units and the Philippine National Police to reactivate their respective anti-illegal logging task forces in coordination with DENR, set up checkpoints, and arrest illegal loggers for violations of the Forestry Code of the Philippines and of Republic Act (RA) 9175, or the Chainsaw Act of 2002.
Aside from illegal logging, the release of water from the Magat Dam was also reported to have contributed to the floods in Cagayan and Isabela provinces. Go said that the Senate is still deciding on whether or not to investigate the release of water from the dam.
“That is our job in the Senate in aid of legislation. If there is a need to investigate, we will investigate and I will participate. If there were mistakes, let NIA (National Irrigation Administration) explain” he said.
“The release should be well-coordinated so that our LGUs can prepare for the possible evacuation of the people. Accordingly, only fifteen percent of water came from the dam and 85 percent from the rain, but this could not be a reason for the release. The extent and spread of water to municipalities should be coordinated with the LGUs so they can prepare for evacuation,” he added.
Due to the country’s vulnerability to natural disasters, Go renewed his call for the timely passage of Senate Bill 205, a measure he filed in 2019 which seeks to create a Department of Disaster Resilience.
“It is now at the committee level in the Senate. The Lower House had passed it. We do not lose hope. I hope, at the proper time, this will be passed so that we can have a department-level that is ready even before a typhoon comes,” he said.
Go pointed out that President Duterte has created an inter-agency task force that would singularly focus on fast-tracking recovery and rehabilitation efforts in areas affected by the recent typhoons toward ‘building back better’.
While he recognizes the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s crucial role in disaster preparedness and response, Go said that the council still needs help in implementing and monitoring post-disaster recovery.
“We have now the NDRRMC (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council) that coordinates, headed by OCD (Office of Civil Defense). If he calls for a , usually, it’s the lower rank that attends the meeting because he is not the OCD head or secretary,” he said.
He reiterated that, in the long term, what the country truly needs to become disaster resilient is to institutionalize a single department that will handle all these responsibilities.
“This is the reason I have repeatedly appealed for the passage of the measure law that establishes the Department of Disaster Resilience. How many more calamities and disasters do we need before we could understand the urgency of acting on this in order to further strengthen the mechanism that we have now,” Go said.
“If my fellow lawmakers have doubts, we can talk about this in the Senate. I am willing to listen and work in order to have a solution to this. What is important is we have to act and not delay because it’s the lives of the Filipinos that are at risk here,” he said.