Councilor Laviña on Climate Change

Last Tuesday, Davao City 1st District Council Peter Laviña delivered a privilege speech during the 15th City Council Session. He called the attention of the City Council on the effects of climate change on sea levels.

Laviña highlighted how the rising level of the Davao Gulf can adversely affect the city and how we has witnessed it first hand:

Most of us who grew up in Davao City would know very well that our city is a flood drain area with much of the places near the Davao River and the Davao Gulf were once marshlands.

When I was growing up as a little boy in the early 1960s, I remember crossing what is now Quezon Blvd. where we used to swim across the river; our school at Ponciano St. was perennially under water; houses at the back of Gima Printing Press just a block from here were on stilts, and marshes exists from Tomas Claudio to Obrero and Agdao.

I am sure our Majority Leader, Councilor Boni Militar, would know this because the old Provincial Jail were the Central Bank is now located in his neighborhood was likewise always flooded.

Many areas in our city are truly low and vulnerable to the rising tides of the Davao Gulf. That is the reason why it is difficult to control flooding in our city. As many as 30 barangays are either in our coastal or flood drain zones.

Laviña also challenges the council to be proactive and to act on the problem while there is still time:

It may well serve our city and people well if we can:
* Identify areas that would be affected in such rising of the seas by 1 meter;

* Inform our citizens;

* Establish policies to protect these areas;

* Regulate or avoid improvements on the same.

* Plan and lay down the infrastructure for the eventual relocation of our coastal population into areas of higher altitude within the next 50 years.

Hopefully, the Council will heed the call of Laviña. I’m proud to say that our council has been effective in producing landmark legislation such as our Anti-Smoking Ordinance. It has also been known to create legislation to protect our environment such as Aerial Spraying Ban and the Watershed Code.

With the help of experts and the commitment of all stakeholders, I am confident that our council will not fail us on this one.

3 Responses to “Councilor Laviña on Climate Change”

1. Peter says:

   September 27, 2007 at 11:42 am

   Maria Salamat I did notice you seated at the front row of the gallery last Tuesday .
2. Maria says:

   September 27, 2007 at 9:10 pm

   I’m usually seated on the other side of the gallery.
3. Weekly Recap: September 22 - 28, 2007 « Life & Work With Ria says:

   September 28, 2007 at 1:41 am

   [...] On Alleba Politics: TRO on Aerial Spray Ban Expires Today – A victory for human health and the environment I Will Not Accept An Absolute Pardon – JUSTICE! Estrada Must Be Punished – Need I say more? Eight Votes for the Environment – Kudos to the Davao City Council All Eyes on Romulo Neri – We are all waiting for his next bombshell Councilor Laviña on Climate Change – A privilege speech worth reading SunStar Davao Editorial: Surviving the aerial spray ban – An Editorial for the Environment Impeachment Cast Filed Against COMELEC Commissioner Benjamin Abalos – A endless string of controversies need to be investigated A new poll on the side bar: Whom do you trust? Romulo Neri or Benjamin Abalos Sr.? [...]