Eastern Visayas Media Without Borders
by evmwb reporters
Tacloban City–House Minority Leader and 4Ps Party‑list Rep. Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan has called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to certify the passage of a National Land‑Use Law as urgent, following the devastating torrential rains and massive flooding caused by Typhoon Tino, which killed many people and displaced hundreds of thousands across Central Visayas, especially in Metro Cebu.
“The tragic loss of lives and the widespread devastation caused by Typhoon Tino once again expose severe gaps in our national land‑use planning and disaster‑risk management,” Libanan said. “We are paying the price for decades of policy inaction.”
Libanan emphasized that proper land‑use planning is crucial for disaster‑risk reduction, climate resilience, and environmental integrity. “Proper land‑use planning is a matter of survival in this era of brutal climate change,” he added. “We must stop building communities in inherently unsafe areas—those prone to riverine and urban flooding, landslides, and coastal storm surges.”
The minority leader warned that the Philippines will face stronger typhoons bringing more rain in shorter periods, necessitating new land‑use policies to help the country adapt quickly. “To protect our people, we must implement forward‑looking land‑use policies that allow us to adapt swiftly to harsher climate conditions while safeguarding our ecological systems—our forests, watersheds, and protected areas that act as natural defenses against disaster,” Libanan stated.
Libanan explained that the proposed National Land‑Use Law would serve as the nation’s master framework for allocating, utilizing, managing, and developing lands and natural resources, providing a coherent strategy to balance human settlement, economic growth, and environmental protection.
He lamented that Congress has been trying to enact a National Land‑Use Law since the 1990s. “In the 19th Congress, the House passed the National Land‑Use Bill on third and final reading, but the Senate未能 to act on it,” he said.
Libanan concluded, “We cannot afford to delay any longer. Every typhoon that ravages our communities underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive national land‑use policy. Let us act now—before the next storm claims more lives and homes.”
Tino dumped 183 mm of rain over Cebu in 24 hours—far more than Odette
Typhoon Tino unleashed extreme rainfall over the Visayas, including Metro Cebu, delivering “more than a month’s worth of rain within 24 hours,” according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). While PAGASA has not released precise figures, a foreign news website reported that Tino dumped 183 millimeters of rain over parts of Cebu in a 24‑hour period—nearly two months’ worth of normal rainfall in one day. The deluge triggered flash floods and landslides, claiming multiple lives and displacing thousands, particularly in low‑lying and urban areas.
By comparison, Typhoon Odette in 2021 brought roughly 120‑150 mm of rainfall across much of Cebu within 24 hours.
Philippines’ disaster‑prone status
The Philippines lies along the western Pacific Ocean’s typhoon belt, an area where almost one‑third of the world’s most intense tropical cyclones form. The World Risk Index has consistently ranked the Philippines as the most disaster‑prone country in the world, followed by India and Indonesia. The index ranks the exposure and vulnerability of 193 countries to natural hazards, including typhoons, flooding, sea‑level rise, droughts, earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. The Philippines also straddles the Pacific Ring of Fire, where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. 🌪️
