‘LISTEN TO THE SCIENCE’: Iloilo City holds first multi-hazard science forum

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By Juliane Judilla

The Iloilo City government launched its first Multi-Hazard Scientific Conference on Dec. 5 at District 21 Hotel, focusing on disaster risk mitigation, planning, and preparedness.

The event brought together experts, scientists, and members of the academe to provide insights on the city’s current vulnerabilities and the science-based approaches to address them.

Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, Climate and Disaster Resilience Champion, and Theresa Joy Rocamora, resilience analyst from the National Resilience Council, spoke on compound, complex, and cascading hazards and the importance of intersectional approaches.

Yulo-Loyzaga emphasized the role of sectoral support in effective risk assessment.

Rocamora highlighted the value of learning from past disasters to build stronger preparedness strategies.

“We need sustainable solutions with interventions that constantly learn from past disasters,” Rocamora said.

“Anticipatory action means prepping for the inevitable, not just the probable,” she added.

Dr. Rosa Perez, senior research fellow at the Manila Observatory, discussed the latest science on climate and hazard risks affecting Iloilo City.

She warned that the Earth continues to warm at alarming rates, citing the last decade as the hottest on record.

She noted that Iloilo City’s Mandurriao business district and dense residential zones are becoming climate hotspots due to increasing nighttime temperatures.

Perez also flagged the impacts of climate change on local ecosystems and urban areas, such as the decline of mangroves, seagrass, and coastal habitats; wetland loss; lower fishery yields; and frequent flooding in low-lying barangays.

She urged the city to avoid land reclamation projects, citing them as major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.

Dr. Jurgene Primavera, chief mangrove scientific adviser at the Zoological Society of London, stressed the urgency of protecting mangrove ecosystems within the city.

Citing the International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, Primavera said validated GNSS data from 2014 to 2020 show that Iloilo City is experiencing ground subsidence at a rate of 9 millimeters per year.

She said areas like Mandurriao and La Paz in Iloilo City, as well as the neighboring towns of Oton and Leganes in Iloilo province, are sinking—especially near the Iloilo Sunset Boulevard development.

“In fact, this paper actually said that this area by 2050 will be under water, will be flooded. Not only because the ground is sinking, but also because of sea-level rise,” Primavera said.

“Hopefully, you listen to the science,” she added, addressing the local government.

Other experts also shared insights on a broad range of topics, including urban flooding, earthquakes, and tsunamis; coastal and marine ecosystem preservation; damage and loss assessment; multi-hazard monitoring technologies; and coastal resource management.