DENR-7: 14 barangays prone to landslide, flood

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7 has identified at least 14 of the 80 barangays in Cebu City as susceptible to landslide and flooding.

Eddie Llamedo, public affairs chief of DENR-7, identified the barangays as Adlaon, Apas, Banilad, Buot, Cambinocot, Guadalupe, Guba, Labangon, Pamutan, Pit-os, Pulangbato, Quiot, Sapangdaku, and To-ong.

Llamedo was invited by the City Council in a public hearing yesterday to help orient the councilors and the Cebuanos on the details, uses, and significance of geo-hazard maps as integral part of disaster preparedness and risk reduction and management efforts.

During the public hearing, Llamedo said that it is important to study the geo-hazard maps because calamities like flood and landslide pose “threats to the human population and (or) infrastructure, and if human lives were not threatened or endangered then the process would not be classed as a “hazard” and it would not be so vital that we understand the processes involved.”

“The Mortality Risk Index as indicated by the United Nations ranks the Philippines as 7th highest in the world with respect to tropical cyclones and earthquakes and 5th and 4th highest when it comes to landslides and flooding, respectively,” he said.

At least 40 barangays in Cebu City have sitios identified as landslide prone areas; among them are Barangays Apas, Banilad, Binaliw, Buot, Budlaan, Buhisan, Guba, Hipodromo, Kalunasan, Labangon, Lorega San Miguel, Lusaran, Malubog, Paril, Pulangbato, Sinsin, Sirao, and Sudlon II.

At least six sitios were identified as “very high or critical” in terms of landslide namely; Sitio Binaliw 3 in Barangay Binaliw; Sitio Pangpang in Barangay Buot; Sitio Budlaan-Talamban road in Barangay Budlaan, Sitio Sandayong in Guadalupe, Sitio Bargo in Barangay Paril, Sitio Candaron-Santa Lucia Devt. Area, and Sitio Sangi-Sinsin NHS in Barangay Sinsin.

According to the DENR-MGB-7 landslide susceptibility parameters for 1:10,0000 scale mapping, an area identified as “very high or critical” is that; it’s slope gradient is steep to very steep greater than 35 degrees, it’s weather or soil characteristics is intense or soil is usually non-cohesive, it’s rock mass strength is poor to very poor, it’s ground stability is active landslides evident; tension cracks, bulges, terracettes, seepage present; and it’s human initiated effects may be an aggravating factor.

There are 71 sitios identified as “high” in terms of landslide, 26 sitios considered as “moderate,” and one sitio identified as “low.”

For the flood prone areas, at least 173 sitios in 30 barangays were identified as susceptible to floods in the city. The sitios were also classified as high, moderate, and low— 76, 92, 5, respectively.

Councilor Alvin Dizon said that in the light of many natural disasters, specifically typhoon, it is imperative that the local communities have to amplify disaster preparedness because typhoons are now getting stronger.

The City Council requested DENR to help the city government’s campaign in educating and informing the barangays about the hazards. Llamedo agreed, saying DENR-7 knows that the barangays should be the first to know of the hazards present in their communities.

The DENR-7 official was also invited for the general assembly of the Association of Barangay Councils next month to brief the barangay officials.— (FREEMAN)