MANILA - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is set to sign an executive order mandating local government officials to relocate people living along creeks and riversides, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said Thursday.

"The President already issued a directive ordering local government units (LGUs) to prevent [typhoon-displaced] people from returning to their homes along rivers, estero (creeks), waterways and other danger-prone areas," Remonde told reporters.

He said Mindoro Rep. Rodolfo Valencia volunteered to draft the executive order during Thursday noon's Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting.

He added that LGUs have been told to coordinate with the national government or the Office of the Vice President in identifying relocation sites for the informal settlers or “squatters” who have built homes in danger-prone areas.

Majority of those people killed in Metro Manila during the onslaught of tropical storm Ondoy (Ketsana) were residents living near riversides and creeks.

After Ondoy, a typhoon hit provinces in northern Luzon, killing dozens of people living in landslide- and flood-prone areas.

Remonde said local executives present during the LEDAC meeting did not protest when President Arroyo ordered the immediate relocation of the informal settlers.

He said the President also told LGU leaders to prevent displaced people from returning to their homes along waterways.

He said LGU officials can be penalized if they fail to heed the President's order.

Climate Change Act

Meanwhile, Remonde said Mrs. Arroyo will sign into law the Climate Change Act of 2009 on October 30.

He added that representatives from Congress also vowed for the speedy passage of the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction, Management and Recovery Act of 2009, which was already passed on third and final reading in the Senate.

The drafting of another executive order, which would create a river basin council that would strengthen coordination between dam managers and local government officials, was also discussed during the meeting, Remonde said.

Remonde said Sen. Loren Legarda, who belongs to the political opposition, has volunteered to join Mrs. Arroyo's climate change activities every Friday.

The LEDAC also adopted as a major information tool Legarda's movie, "Ulan sa Tag-araw" that would be aired in government-owned television stations. Privately-owned broadcasting corporations will also be asked to air the movie "as a matter of public service." Report from Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News