15 sinkholes discovered after strong earthquake

CEBU, Philippines — The 6.9-magnitude earthquake that hit northern Cebu on September 30 has left more than just cracks on the ground, but many sinkholes were formed in the towns of San Remigio and Daanbantayan,

This prompted a group of volunteer experts from Luzon to flew into Cebu yesterday (October 3), and inspect the sinkholes in the affected towns, while assisting the residents.

Based on initial observations, at least 15 sinkholes were found in Sitio Maño, Barangay Maño, of San Remigio town. In Sitio Mayjo, Barangay Paypay of Daanbantayan town, a massive sinkhole with an estimated depth of three to four meters was discovered.

The sinkholes, of various sizes and number, triggered fear and safety concerns among the residents who found them the night of the quake.

For 72-year-old fisherman Manolo Tipait, the sight of a massive sinkhole is something he never imagined he would witness in his lifetime.

Tipait admitted he and other fishermen in the area have not gone out to sea for the past three days out of fear that another earthquake might recur.

On the night of the earthquake, Tipait and his wife were quietly watching television when the shaking started at 9:59 p.m. “Wala mi magdahum, abi namo’g gi-bulldozer among balay,” said Tipait.

The morning after, Tipait and other residents rushed to the coast to check on their boats. What they found shocked them: a giant sinkhole was formed near a house along the shoreline.

A few meters away, they spotted another medium-sized sinkhole where a coconut tree had fallen into, and taking with it the rope tied to Tipait’s boat, which was eventually destroyed. “Diring dapita igo jud ‘mi sa katalagman,” said Tipait.

Smaller sinkholes were also discovered nearby. One was so sudden that even Tipait’s child accidentally fell into it but was later retrieved with no serious injury.

Another resident, 39-year-old construction worker Andres Serafin, recounted his own terrifying encounter. During the earthquake, he initially thought a volcano had erupted. With only a flashlight, he later discovered a massive sinkhole had formed, a few steps away from his small house.

San Remigio Mayor Mariano R. Martinez confirmed that the municipality has already recorded more than 100 sinkholes over the past years, with at least 11 new ones emerging after the recent quake.

“We’re still assessing. The ground continues to move,” Martinez said, adding that some households near large sinkholes have already been advised to evacuate.

He noted that San Remigio lies directly on a fault line that stretches from Bogo to their town, making the municipality vulnerable whenever strong quakes strike.

One of the biggest concerns is a sinkhole located very close to a school in Hagnaya, which has raised safety concerns among parents and teachers. "Ang problema sa dagko nga sinkholes is mura’g mapugos mi’g pa-evacuate jud sa mga balay," said the mayor.

Residents have also reported seeing water underneath some of the sinkholes, making the ground even more unstable.

Mayor Martinez reiterated that the situation is far from over, as the earth continues to shift. At least three houses have already been evacuated after being deemed too close to the sinkholes.

Experts’ inspection

Among those in the team of volunteer experts were Ted Esguerra, an expedition and rescue doctor for the Philippine Mount Everest Team, along with some members of the Valenzuela City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and Makita Powertools.

Esguerra and his team documented the sinkhole’s profile, measurements, and photos to formally report the geologic formation. He described it as an “obliquely dissecting” natural depression with a diameter of 160 x 224 inches.

Esguerra, in an exclusive interview with The Freeman, said the presence of the sinkhole—located within the premises of a local beach house and a residential area with more or fewer than five families—poses danger among residents living nearby, considering its unusual formation.

“We checked the presence of the sinkhole… and the problem is it’s like obliquely-oriented, para siyang dissecting. Pag sinabing dissecting, hindi siya vertical down. It’s gonna be a problem when it dissects underneath tapos meron structures sa ibabaw,” said Esguerra.

“The only concern we have is the presence of people and property and livelihood kasi pag may sinkhole, nakakapekto (ito) sa buhay, sa pamamahay, at sa ari-arian,” he added.

Esguerra further detailed that the “very soft” soil that creates a cistern or reservoir underground is likely to happen, noting its proximity to the shoreline.

Residents also reported four other sinkholes spotted along the shore. However, experts were unable to examine them yesterday due to the high-tide.

Nevertheless, Esguerra also sought the help of geologists from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), saying they are set to conduct further diagnosis and prognosis of the sinkholes.

Residents nearby were advised to take precautionary measures to prevent further damage and incidents. (CEBU NEWS)