2 dead, 8 injured in landslides

CEBU, Philippines — Two individuals perished in two separate landslide incidents while eight others were injured and 59 were displaced in Cebu City yesterday.

Authorities identified the dead as Jimaimah Ibuña, 17, of Sitio Caduloy Riverside, Brgy. Tisa; and Claire Dosdos, 26, of Purok 5 in the mountain barangay of San Jose in Cebu City’s north district.

Those injured in Tisa were identified as Rogelio Gomez Aquino, Judie Nogas Aquino, Jude Mae Aquino, and Trixie Surban; while those in San Jose were Ellie Otero, seven months; Anabelle Otero, 27; Euphemie Otero, four; and Ian Otero, six years old.

Of the displaced individuals, 44 were from Tisa while 15 were from San Jose.

Jaime, Ibuña’s father, said they were sleeping around 3 a.m. yesterday when they heard a loud noise.

“Kalit lang gyud ning hitabo-a kalit lang naay nibuto,” he said.

Harold Alcontin, Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO) head, said responders immediately proceeded to the area and found that a collapsed wall on the side of the waterway landed on the victim’s homes.

“Nangatulog sila. Actually, layo ra man sila…ba nya naabtan lang gyud sila tungod sa kataas sa wall nga gibuhat. Wala gyud sila kabantay kay base sa akong interview ganeha naa ba silay nabantayan nga ni-crack, niligti, ana ba. Wala gyud sila kabantay kay kusog ang uwan nya side sa sapa,” he said.

Tisa Barangay Councilor Geraldine Nudalo told The Freeman that the incident also damaged nine houses and displaced 44 individuals, who are currently staying at Tisa 1 National High School.

She said 50 more houses are in danger of a similar incident and that they have been warned for several years already to move out as the area is prone to landslides.

“Dugay na na sila gipadad-an og notice to vacate nganha dapita pero wala man sila namalhin,” Nudalo said.

“Mas maayo nga mo-evecauate lang sad gyud sila kay humok na gyud ang yuta nganhang dapita. Simbako mag-landslide na sad og balik,” she added.

Nudalo said that Cebu City Acting Mayor Raymond Garcia was expected to visit the site anytime last night.

City Councilor Joel Garganera, chairman of the City Council’s committee on disaster risk reduction and management, safety, and climate change adaptation, said in a separate interview that Ibun~a is supposed to celebrate her birthday next week.

“Sakit kaayo kay kinamanghuran ni siya sa upat ka buok mga anak,” he said.

On what happened to Dosdos, Alcontin said the landslide happened at around 11:20 a.m.

“Tungod gyud ni sa uwan-uwan nato, ni-saturate ang yuta ‘nya wala na kapugong mao na-collapse ang structure. Ang riprap stone masonry man gud siya ‘nya basin na-weaken tungod sa uwan-uwan. Duol raman gyud kaayo ilang balay sa area mao na didto gyud napunta sa ilaha intawon,” he said.

The Cebu City government has immediately provided packed meals, medical assistance for the victims as well as burial assistance for the casualties.

Garganera said only one house was damaged in the San Jose incident but it involved 4 families, or 15 individuals. He said those who were evacuated are temporarily staying in San Jose Elementary School.

He said they would ask the Department of Public Works and Highways to also check periodically the integrity of the ripraps in the city, as many of them are their projects,

Garganera said this should be done especially during the raining season for the safety of those living near these ripraps.

On the Tisa incident, Brgy. Capt. Bernardo “Ada” Lapin~a, who was still in Manila yesterday attending the Liga ng mga Barangay ng Pilipinas’ National Congress, said they would declare a state of calamity in Sitio Caduloy Riverside so the barangay should be able to provide ample assistance to the bereaved and affected families.

He said they are going to check the area and evaluate if the property owners should also be held accountable

“Ato sad i-assess kung anaa bay liability ang property owner sa atbang tungod sa iyang riprap/koral nga naka cause og damage,” Lapin~a said.

Garganera also personally went to the area during the rescue operation.

“Ang nakapait kay ni-extend sya sa height sa maong riprap, ‘nya iyahang giabunohan kay iyang i develop ni iyang property,” he said of the owner of the collapsed wall.

He said he found out that the area had just recently been purchased and was being immediately developed.

“I am pretty sure wa ni fencing permit, wa ni building permit, daghan kaayo ni nga violations, unya dako ni sya nga development nga wala nila lantawa ang safety, substandard kaayo ang wall nga iyang gihimo,” the councilor said.

Garganera said he already requested the Office of the Building Official to look into the matter about the permits.

He said that it looked to him that the wall was built despite having a weak foundation of the structure, which resulted in the collapse.

He called on the property owner to show up and cooperate with the Cebu City Government, which is enforcing the three-meter easement of waterways.  to restore the waterways that are currently blocked by the materials of the collapsed structure.

He said the site had already been cleared right away with the help of Buhisan Brgy. Capt. Gremar Barete and Congressman Edu Rama.

The clearing operation was needed to avoid flooding and backflow of water from the river. -- with reports from  Decemay P. Padilla/RHM (CEBU NEWS)