MJ Lastimosa believes that Surigao experiences flashfloods during typhoons due to the thriving mining industry in the area.
The beauty queen in Dubai noticed the deforested mountains of Surigao when the place was featured on Al Jazeera for a news report about Typhoon Rai (Odette).
Lastimosa pointed out the government’s irresponsibility for allowing mining in the area without thinking about the negative impacts for the locals.
Surigao was the area shown on the news. Tapos the “initiative” ng save the planet plant more trees should come from us nanaman lols ♥️
— MJ Lastimosa (@MJ_Lastimosa) December 22, 2021
She then quipped about the cliché campaign for environmental preservation that comes from people’s initiative, lacking support from the government.
Lastimosa is a Filipina beauty queen who represented the country in Miss Universe 2014, where she finished as a Top 10 finalist. She is known for her bubbly personality and is one of the biggest supporters every time a fellow Filipina beauty joins Miss Universe.
Surigao is one of the places severely affected by Typhoon Odette’s onslaught.
Bishop Antonieto Cabajog of Surigao asked for prayers to help them recover from the devastation of Odette. He also claims that the term ‘Supertyphoon’ is an understatement for the said disaster.
The local government of Surigao also said that they prepared for the typhoon but, Odette’s power was beyond expectation.
“Our preparation was for Signal No. 3, per advisory from Pagasa.
“We were able to prepare. But no matter how much we prepared, we could not prevent the damage,” Mayor Ernesto Matugas Jr. said.
They had evacuated almost 6,000 families even before Odette made landfall on December 16, so fewer casualties.
As of December 24, there are already 21 recorded deaths in Surigao del Norte.
