LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Rep. Eric Yap recently pushed for the conduct of a congressional inquiry on the capability of government agencies in dealing with the proliferation of forest fires following the series of forest fires that ravaged nearly a thousand hectares of forest over the past several weeks.
Yap filed House Resolution No. 1603 considering the need for a robust and coordinated approach to forest fire management with the recent surge in forest fires not only in the province but also in various regions due to the effect of the prolonged dry spell.
“To date, more than 20 forest fires have been recorded in the province this year. We filed House Resolution No. 1603, urging the House Committee on Natural Resources to conduct an inquiry into the capacity and readiness of appropriate government agencies in dealing with forest fires for the purpose of prevention and containment of such disasters as well as the immediate rehabilitation and or reforestation of damaged areas,” Yap said.
Yap’s resolution also seeks to address this pressing issue by assessing the preparedness and effectiveness of government agencies tasked with forest fire prevention, containment, and rehabilitation.
“Aside from the resolution we filed, we are also requesting an audience with DENR, OCD, and BFP to discuss their capacities and needs for intervention. In order to support maximizing the capacity of our fire trucks, we also turned over fire hoses to strategic fire stations in the province,” added Yap.
Yap also emphasized the importance of proactive measures in mitigating the impact of forest fires on communities, biodiversity, and the environment while highlighting the need for a multi-faceted approach to forest fire management, encompassing both preventive measures and post-disaster interventions.
“We are also in the process of preparing the distribution of financial assistance to those families whose livelihood were affected by the forest fires. We are gathering the list of affected families so they will be included in our next payout,” added Yap.
Yap’s inquiry also aims to pave the way for evidence-based policies and strategies to mitigate the impact of forest fires and protect the nation’s forests and safeguarding the country’s natural resources and enhancing its resilience to environmental hazards.
“Given that the air quality is deteriorating given the situation in vicinities near the forest fires, we encourage our kakailyan to wear face masks and if required by the LGUs, to evacuate the area for their safety,” the solon said. By Dexter A. See
