The Philippines Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has urged local officials in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan Province, to dredge the heavily silted Cagayan River to avoid further erosions after the result of the geo-hazard mapping conducted recently.
Felicitas Piligan, senior geologist , said that MGB has already alerted the concerned Local Government Units (LGUs) regarding the result of their assessment on the Cagayan river siltation.
“ We observed that there are islet formations in the middle of the river which usually alter the direction of the flow of water, thereby, causing continuous erosions along the Cagayan River banks ,” Piligan explained.
She said that during the mapping, they also informed the affected communities on the initial results of the assessment conducted in their areas which are vulnerable to landslides and floods.
“ We have also recommended some measures to avoid any untoward incident during calamities. But it’s up to the communities if they adopt these measures or not ,” she stated.
She also added that they have advised communities and local officials to relocate to safer grounds or establish a resilient evacuation centers during calamities.
The Cagayan River, also known as the Rio Grande de Cagayan, is the longest and largest river in the Philippine Archipelago. It is located in the Cagayan Valley region in northeastern part of Luzon Island and traverses the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Isabela and Cagayan. The River and its tributaries are subject to extensive flooding during the monsoon season in Southeast Asia from May to October.
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Press Release, July 23, 2014