MANILA -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos on Tuesday said deforestation and the effects of climate change fueled the Maguindanao floodings and landslides where at least 60 people were reported to have died during the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Paeng.

In a situation briefing with local executives in Maguindanao, the chief executive discussed his observations during his aerial inspection of the damages in the province.

“Noong nasa helicopter kami ni [Maguindanao Governor] Bai Mariam, na-notice ko lahat ng gumuho kalbo ang bundok. That’s the problem,” Marcos said.

“And I was pointing out to the Governor, sabi ko sa kanya: Tingnan mo ‘yung may kahoy hindi gumalaw ‘yung lupa, lahat nung sugat na makita mo sa bundok dahil kalbo,” he added.

Maguindanao Governor Bai Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu said landslides occurred in Barangay Kusiong in Datu Odin Sinsuat; Barangays Romonggaob and Looy in South Upi; Barangays Maagabo Bayanga Sur, Upper Bayanga Sur Norte and Kabugaw Sapad of Matanog.

In the wake of the incident, the chief executive instructed government offices to include tree-planting activities in flood control projects.

“So we have to include tree planting in our flood control. Dapat kasama ‘yan. Kung gagastos tayo sa flood control, kailangan may tree planting,” the President said.

“So that’s one thing that we need to do. But that one alam na natin ‘yun, we have been hearing this over and over again, pero patuloy pa rin tayo nagpuputol ng kahoy, ‘yan ang nangyayari nagkaka-landslide ng ganyan,” he pointed out.

In the briefing, Sangki-Mangudadatu reported that 61 deaths had been recorded so far in the province, with 17 still missing following the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Paeng.

The President led the situation briefing with officials of Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, and other local executives in Datu Odin Sinsuat after conducting an aerial ocular inspection over the province.

Marcos later presided over the distribution of goods and assistance to families affected by the calamity in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) as he visited one of the evacuation centers in Dato Odin Sinsuat.

Based on reports by the BARMM’s Rapid Emergency Action on Disaster Incidence (READi), around 200,000 households accounting for more than 500,000 people were affected by the recent calamity, prompting the BARMM government to place the entire region under a state of calamity. (PND)