BANAUE, Ifugao – Gov. Jerry Dalipog disclosed that the clogged drainage system in the municipality was the primary cause of the flash floods and landslides that affected more than one thousand families and damaged multi-million pesos worth of agricultural crops and private properties.
Dalipog stated that the heavy rains in the province last month, aggravated by the heavy downpour early this month, caused the clogging of the drainage system that resulted in the flash floods and landslides early this month inflicting multi-million worth of damages to public and private properties.
He claimed the heavy downpour from June to December is considered to be normal in the province but the recent huge volume of water brought by the rains caused the clogging of the drainage system and eventually resulted in the landslides that damaged over 1,052 structures, totally damaging three of these.
The governor pointed out the need to de-clog and rehabilitate the drainage systems along major roads not only in the municipality but also in the province to ensure the systems are cleared from the debris and allow the uninterrupted flow of water, especially during heavy downpours to prevent the occurrence of similar flooding and landslide incidents.
According to him, the heavy downpour which is a regular happening in the province from June to December might have been affected by changes in the weather patterns that make weather disturbances much stronger and more destructive that is why concerned government agencies, local governments and the people must be resilient to be able to cope up with the situation and hurdle the challenges of climate change.
Dalipog stipulated that the recent flash flood and landslide incidents in the municipality and the province should remind people to continue caring for the environment to help in mitigating the effects of destructive weather disturbances to lives and guarantee safe communities.
He announced that the province’s tourism and tourism-related activities was reopened to allow foreign and domestic visitors as part of the gradual and safe revival of the local economy that had been heavily impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and aggravated by the recent flash flood and landslides that significantly affected the sources of livelihood of the people, particularly rice and vegetable farming and livestock production.
Dalipog expressed his gratitude to all those, who in one way or the other, extended assistance to the people of Banaue who were affected by these flash flood and landslides, saying that the gestures will surely be treasured by the people and officialdom of the province.
Ifugao is home to the scenic Banaue rice terraces and other world-class nature destinations that pull for foreign and domestic visitors to make the province part of their must-see destinations in the country.
