CEBU, Philippines - The rainy season is here, so the Cebu Provincial Government is monitoring places that are prone to floods and landslides, especially those near schools.
The Capitol will coordinate closely with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Education (DepEd) on this matter.
Lawyer Rory Jon Sepulveda, Capitol consultant, said that attending to these matters is imperative considering that the rainy days have come, and that classes in public elementary and high schools will start in a week.
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia is concerned of the safety of the students, he stressed.
The Province has already asked the mayors of component cities and towns to attend to this particular issue before classes start, added Sepulveda.
The regional environment department office’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) identified barangays in Cebu province that are prone to landslides.
Considered most hazardous areas are six municipalities and three cities in Cebu Province. These are the cities of Cebu, Toledo and Talisay, as well as the municipalities of Balamban, Catmon, Pinamungajan, Dumanjug, Asturias and Ronda.
Barangays included in Toledo City are Tungkay, Pangamihan, Bagacay, Loay and Don Andres Soriano while Barangay Camp 6 is the only barangay in Talisay City that was included in the list.
Identified as susceptible to landslides in Catmon are barangays Amancion, Anapog, Bactas, Bongyas, Ambangkaya, Cabungaan, Can-ibuang, Duyan, Ginabucan, Panalipan, Tabili and Tinabyonan.
There are also 11 barangays in Balamban’s list: Hingatmonan, Lamesa, Luca, Ginatilan, Cabasiangan, Matun-og, Cansomoroy, Gaas, Magsaysay, Cabagdalan, and Duangan.
The five in Asturias are Agbanga, Baye, Bairan, Kanluangan and Sak-sak.
In Pinamungajan, Barangay Lamac was identified, while in Dumajug, Barangays Purok 3 and Doldol. Barangay Cansalonoy is the only one named vulnerable to landslides in Ronda.
MGB 7 Director Loreto Alburo said they have conducted a “rapid geohazard assessment” on 2,773 barangays in Central Visayas, especially in Cebu province.
“The geohazard maps and reports which contain information on the vulnerability of certain areas to various types of geologic and natural hazards will be provided to the concerned local government units,” Alburo said. — Jose P. Sollano/JPM (FREEMAN NEWS)