106 Cordillera barangays at risk of landslide – MGB

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — The Mines and Geosciences Bureau has tagged 106 barangays in the Cordillera Administrative Region as being at high risk of landslides.

The MGB said Benguet has 24 landslide-prone areas in Baguio City and in the towns of Atok, Bokod, Itogon, La Trinidad and Tublay.

Kalinga has the biggest concentration with 50 areas in Tabuk City and in Pinukpuk and Rizal towns, particularly in Barangay Liwan, the MGB added.

Also listed are 22 high-risk areas in Ifugao, specifically in Aguinaldo and Alfonso Lista towns, seven barangays in Paracelis town in Mountain Province and three in Conner town in Apayao.

Socrates Gaerlan, MGB-Cordillera director, called on the provincial, city and municipal governments as well as their disaster risk reduction and management councils to closely monitor the identified areas.

Gaerlan said the local governments should give particular attention to the places hit by prolonged rains or are located near major rivers.

The MGB warned that the mountainous terrain and the continued rains could further weaken slopes and trigger sudden landslides, as the southwest monsoon continues to dump rain over the region.

The Cordillera region is expected to receive a cumulative rainfall of between 50 millimeters to 200 mm from Aug. 24 to 31, as the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is forecasting heavier rainfall in elevated and mountainous areas.

Local authorities were told to check slope stability, keep evacuation centers away from areas prone to floods and landslides, and sustain round-the-clock monitoring until weather conditions improve.