City of SAN FERNANDO — Most of 2,518 families in Botolan, Zambales have relied solely on relief goods after the Bucao River changed path and now continues to rampage through their barangays since storm Kiko way back last Aug. 6.
This, even as experts from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) rushed to Botolan to assess hazard mapping in the area and inspect an outlet of Mt. Pinatubo’s crater lake towards a channel that courses through the Bucao River down volcanic slopes.
Graciela Macabare, chief of the Zambales Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC), said Gov. Amor Deloso has already allocated lands in Barangay Upper Taugtog in Botolan as permanent resettlement site for them.
“So far, the families have never run out of relief supplies donated mostly by non-government organizations. Donor fatigue has not surfaced yet, the governor wants to rush rehabilitation projects for them immediately. Dependence on donations can’t go on for a long time,” she said.
Macabare noted that many of the affected families lived in beautiful homes which have remained submerged in strong currents in Barangays Karael, Paco, Bangan, Batonlapok, San Juan, Paudpod, and San Miguel since a dike along the Bucao River gave way last Aug., 6 during storm Kiko.
“They have never returned to their homes since Kiko because the flow of the river has remained continuing in their areas,” she said.
Earlier, Central Luzon police director and Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC) chairman Chief Supt. Leon Nilo de la Cruz said the Public Works and Highways Sec. Hermogenes Ebdane had decided no longer to repair the dike as Bucao River merely sought its old natural path. The barangays now affected used to be the channel of the river years ago, according to old timers in Botolan.
Macabare insisted however that she has not been informed about this, although Deloso earlier announced the permanent resettlement of the families in New Taugtog near the Tarlac-Zambales road now being constructed.
“But I think the plan is for the resettlement to serve as some kind of a second home and they could go back to their old homes if the situation normalizes,” Macabare said, while admitting that she did not expect Deloso as politician to endorse the permanent abandonment of the submerged barangays.
At the same time, Macabare also said that Phivolcs experts are now in Botolan to assess threat to the town from the Bucao River which used to be an active lahar channel after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991.
A two-kilometer wide lake which was created by the eruption at the summit of Mt. Pinatubo, is drained through a notch on the western side. This notch allows the lake’s waters to drain down the slopes through the Maraunot river, then towards the Balin Baquero and Bucao rivers towards the South China Sea.
“I don’t think the experts found any serious danger from the crater lake or they would have alerted us already,” Macabare said. Punto called up the Phivolcs office in Manila but was told all volcanologists were on field.
This, even as experts from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) rushed to Botolan to assess hazard mapping in the area and inspect an outlet of Mt. Pinatubo’s crater lake towards a channel that courses through the Bucao River down volcanic slopes.
Graciela Macabare, chief of the Zambales Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC), said Gov. Amor Deloso has already allocated lands in Barangay Upper Taugtog in Botolan as permanent resettlement site for them.
“So far, the families have never run out of relief supplies donated mostly by non-government organizations. Donor fatigue has not surfaced yet, the governor wants to rush rehabilitation projects for them immediately. Dependence on donations can’t go on for a long time,” she said.
Macabare noted that many of the affected families lived in beautiful homes which have remained submerged in strong currents in Barangays Karael, Paco, Bangan, Batonlapok, San Juan, Paudpod, and San Miguel since a dike along the Bucao River gave way last Aug., 6 during storm Kiko.
“They have never returned to their homes since Kiko because the flow of the river has remained continuing in their areas,” she said.
Earlier, Central Luzon police director and Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC) chairman Chief Supt. Leon Nilo de la Cruz said the Public Works and Highways Sec. Hermogenes Ebdane had decided no longer to repair the dike as Bucao River merely sought its old natural path. The barangays now affected used to be the channel of the river years ago, according to old timers in Botolan.
Macabare insisted however that she has not been informed about this, although Deloso earlier announced the permanent resettlement of the families in New Taugtog near the Tarlac-Zambales road now being constructed.
“But I think the plan is for the resettlement to serve as some kind of a second home and they could go back to their old homes if the situation normalizes,” Macabare said, while admitting that she did not expect Deloso as politician to endorse the permanent abandonment of the submerged barangays.
At the same time, Macabare also said that Phivolcs experts are now in Botolan to assess threat to the town from the Bucao River which used to be an active lahar channel after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991.
A two-kilometer wide lake which was created by the eruption at the summit of Mt. Pinatubo, is drained through a notch on the western side. This notch allows the lake’s waters to drain down the slopes through the Maraunot river, then towards the Balin Baquero and Bucao rivers towards the South China Sea.
“I don’t think the experts found any serious danger from the crater lake or they would have alerted us already,” Macabare said. Punto called up the Phivolcs office in Manila but was told all volcanologists were on field.
