GOVPH

MGB 2 beefs up ISO compliance

Mines Bureau 2 spearheads ocular inspection

Tuguegarao City, Cagayan- The Mines and Geosciences Bureau conducted an ocular inspection in Ambaguio, Nueva Vizcaya.

The field party was escorted by the MDRRM Office representative, Mr. Guzman Allawas, to all the barangays of the municipality.

Barangay officials were given MGB posters such as flooding, landslides, and karst-related hazards during a meeting conducted by the MDRRM Office. However, due to time constraints and limited accessibility, there were some sitios that were not visited hence anecdotal accounts from the Barangay LGU and overlook sighting were used as supporting information in the assessment.

Based on the results of the detailed geohazards assessment, landslide is observed prominently within almost the entire municipality. The existing geohazards of Ambaguio is mainly due to the topographic and geomorphic makeup of the municipality which plays a major role on which geohazards will prevail. The occurrence of numerous landslide generators makes the assessed barangays vulnerable and/or susceptible to landslides. These barangays are susceptible to landslide hazard since these sections of the municipality are characterized by extremely undulating to rolling topography with steep to very steep slope gradients. These areas include all the barangays of Ambaguio, namely Ammoweg, Camandag, Dulli, Labang, Napo, Poblacion, Salingsingan, and Tiblac. The landslide susceptibility rating of all the barangays rendered a result of high to very high

MGB R2 assess landslide prone areas in the province of Batanes

To address landslide geohazard concerns in Batanes, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Office No.2 immediately sent personnel in the province.

The assessment team is composed of MGB personnel namely Mr. Jose Santiago Feril, Mr. Ezekiel James Galanto and Engr. Gerard Ano together with select representatives from Department of Public Works and Highways Region II – Batanes District Engineering Office, Provincial Engineering Office – Batanes, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) – Batanes, and Mahatao Mayor Pedro F. Poncio.

The team primarily assessed the Paderes-Chawa View Deck, Brgy. Kaumbakan, Mahatao road cut slope along the national road with landslide incident recorded last July 2022 due to heavy rainfall. 

Based on their findings, the said area is an immediate concern as it is identified as highly weathered and fractured volcanic breccia, composed of poorly sorted cobble to boulder-sized volcanics set in a tuffaceous sand-sized matrix.

Aside from its almost vertical slope, falling pebble-sized rocks also made this road cut slope hazardous to motorists. With that, the assessment team proposed early and long-term slope stabilization measures.

Moreover, other road cut slopes assessed along the national road such as Paredes to Brgy. Kaumbakan, Mahatao; Mahatao Shelter Port, Brgy. Kaumbakan, Mahatao; Brgy. Hanib, Mahatao; and Brgy. San Vicente, Ivana are also advised to install slope stabilization measures. 

The Provincial Government of Batanes conducted debris clearing along the slope and road.

OceanaGold offers IP scholarships

OceanaGold Philippines, Inc. (OGPI) is offering scholarship program for the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs) in Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino provinces.

Lawyer Joan Cattiling, OceanaGold (Philippines) Inc., president and general manager for external affairs & social performance, said a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) will be signed between the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and OGPI to open up the scholarship program for IP youths who are willing to finish their college studies.

“This is one of our programs where we can help our IPs/ICCs in Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino. This will be implemented through our partnership with the NCIP,” she said.

Cattiling bared  the scholarship program during the recent conduct of IP Congress by the NCIP at the Nueva Vizcaya Convention Center here.

She said their new Community Development Fund (CDF) of more than P52.8 million for 2021 and 2022 will also be opened-up for various project proposals from the IPs/ICCs in both provinces.

“These project proposals will be scrutinized by our Technical Working Group (TWG) members from the private and public sector for further approval,” Cattiling said.

She said the CDF can also be availed by barangays and communites within the 50-kilometer radius of their area of operations  aside from the existing 11 barangays within their project coverage.

Cattiling said they can also provide logistical assistance for IP/ICC affairs and events such as the organizational meetings for Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representatives (IPMRs) selection in the barangay and municipal levels.