20 Jan Agriculture Secretary Piñol says Relentless Deforestation Blamed for Mindanao Floods
Alarmed Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said on January 18, 2017, Wednesday, that what has led to the massive flooding in Cagayan de Oro City and nearby areas last January 16, 2017, Monday was the relentless cutting of trees in the mountains of Northern Mindanao. It was during a news conference held in Malacañang when Piñol added mentioned that possibly, there are no more trees in the mountains of Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, and Misamis Occidental that hold the rainwater, thus the flash floods.
Drones are said to be deployed to assess the areas that are prone to landslides and flooding through an aerial survey of the mountains situated around Northern Mindanao (Region X).
Based on reports from local disaster response agencies, as floodwater surged, about 3,000 families were evacuated in the region.
Following are the damages in the agriculture sector as of January 18, 2017:
- 149.5 hectares of corn were damaged in the province of Bukidnon
- At least 870 hectares of land planted with rice, vegetables, and corn were submerged in the floods in Misamis Occidental
Source: Inquirer.net
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