Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu on Tuesday ordered Department of Environment and Natural Resources field executives to take proactive response to heavy rains.
He also directed the environment officials to open their line of communication with the local government officials and to have a strong coordination with them.
“It is therefore imperative for the DENR and its field offices to be prepared and responsive to the dangers and adverse effects of excessive rainfall,” Cimatu’s memorandum read.
The memorandum was addressed to all DENR regional executive directors, regional directors of the Environmental Management Bureau and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, and provincial and community environment and natural resources officers nationwide.
To be proactive, field officials must revisit and familiarize themselves with the geohazard maps indicating flood- and landslide-prone areas, Cimatu said.
“With the use and understanding of the geohazard map, the likelihood that we will be able to proactively respond to weather disturbances like typhoon and even mere low pressure incidences causing abnormally high rainfall will be greater,” he added.
Moreover, the DENR chief instructed the field officials to be “physically present” in their areas of responsibilty and to actively participate in meetings and disaster response efforts of the regional, provincial and municipal disaster risk coordinating councils during adverse weather.