Manipis residents anticipate landslides

CEBU, Philippines - With the rains associated with La Niña, people in the upland barangay of Manipis, Talisay City now anticipate landslides.

Manipis barangay chief Joselito Laurente said there are areas in his village that are prone to landslides, and because of that he has already prepared an evacuation center for residents that may need to be relocated once the soil starts to loosen due to regular rains.

PAGASA has said June is the start of La Nina or the rainy season.

In June 2008, the city had to declare the barangay under a state of calamity after the Manipis Elementary School's old riprap structure gave up resulting to soil and boulders cascading down the school, causing classes to be suspended. The incident was caused by non-stop rains caused by typhoon Frank.

Laurente said the barangay hall and classrooms will temporarily house the evacuees if the need arises.

Manipis is about 15 kilometers away from the city proper. One of its landslide-prone areas is sitio Campinsa, located in the topmost part of the barangay.

Campinsa, which has a population of about 2,000, is mostly timberland of which a big portion of it is watershed.

The small road going there is also vulnerable to landslide according to Laurente, since apart from the fact that it has not been cemented yet, it was just being cut from the sides of the mountains which has not been riprapped yet or no solid wall built to cover the loose soil.

The road going there is not paved, making it dangerous to motorists who travel there especially on rainy days. – THE FREEMAN