MGB-6 urges evacuation of residents in landslide zone of Escalante's brgy

BACOLOD CITY , Philippines — Residents of sitio Baloc of Brgys. Malasibog and Paitan in Escalante City, Negros Occidental were urged by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) to evacuate the area after its assessment team found out that the place is hazardous to them.

MGB-6 director Leo Van Juguan, in his letter to Governor Alfredo Maranon Jr. dated last January 18, said the agency was “strongly recommending” the relocation of all residents in Baloc to a safer area, like the barangay proper of Malasibog and Malapitan.

Juguan said he made the recommendation based on a memorandum report, entitled “Initial Findings on the Reported Land Fissure Observed at Sitio Baloc…” prepared by Engr. Leilani Suerte of MGB-6, who led the field assessment of the area last January 14.

Quoting Suerte’s report, Juguan said the houses in the area are located in slopes or foot slopes that are prone to landslides.

The assessment was carried out after land fissures were reported in Baloc since January 10, and provincial social welfare officer Liane Garcia, through the Office of the Governor, requested such action from the MGB-6 on the affected areas.

As of last January 16, a total of 53 families from Baloc in Brgy. Malasibog and five families from Brgy. Paitan were evacuated from the area where land fissures were observed, Suerte said in her report.

Juguan, again basing Suerte’s reports, recommended that the evacuees, teachers and students must abandon the damaged buildings they were occupying at the Malasibog Elementary School.

He also recommended that a number of signage, declaring the landslide site as danger zone, must be installed in the area and its vicinities.

He further recommended the continuous monitoring of the progress of the landslides in the slopes and foot slopes of Mount Solitario (local name: Mt. Lunay), where sitio Baloc is situated.

Suerte had reported that several landslides also occurred at the slopes of Mt. Solitario last December 27, and its slopes showed signs of active soil creep, like tilted trees.

A rapid geo-hazard assessment conducted by MGB-6 in 2010 classified Mt. Solitario as “susceptible to landslides,” her report stated, adding that 10 houses were also buried when landslides occurred there in 2006.

Suerte said the landslide was primarily due to the overloading of water of the unconsolidated slope materials, the abundance of groundwater and rainwater, the type of rocks in the area and the sloping terrain.  (FREEMAN)