Geologists: Proposed relocation site of Sirao school unsafe

It may take a long time before the Sirao Elementary School will be relocated to a safer place after the proposed relocation site in sitio Tawagan was declared by the Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as unsafe.

Mines and Geo-Sciences regional director Roger de Dios said the area in sitio Tawagan, which is just a few kilometers from Sirao proper, is not a safe place for a school because there is also ground movement there.

There is a need to relocate the Sirao Elementary School because the area is under the constant threat of landslides. In 1996, a portion of the school got buried in rocks and soil after nearby hills gave in.

Senior geologists Maria Elena Lupo and Alex Aco concluded that the "underlying rock formation in the area is observed to be highly jointed, though persistent, is generally tight to sand-filled. Joints that are usually open-spaced and unfilled are more prone to failure."

Lupo and Aco, after constant monitoring of the area, said the rock slip located at the northeastern boundary of the proposed site is still active and continuously pose a threat on the stability of the area.

"The presence of these adverse geological conditions will cause damage to future structures to be built in the area. However, these can be avoided through the institution of engineering interventions," they said.

Councilor Nestor Archival, in an interview with The Freeman, said that the city will have to abide by the report of the Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau and he will meet with the school administration, as well as the Parents, Teachers Association to inform them about the report.

The councilor said the city will just have to look for another area where the school can be transferred. He, however, said that the relocation site should be nearby so that students will not have a hard time going to school. - Garry B. Lao/QSB