Landslide rubble moving, with ground sinking – mayor

JAGNA, BOHOL, Philippines – The mound of rubble from a landslide that occurred early this week in this town has been noticed to be moving further down as the ground where it rests has been sinking by about three feet already.

Mayor Fortunato “Bicbic” Abrenilla disclosed this “moving landslide” phenomenon at Barangay Cantuyok, although he said it was, however, nothing new to the town. A similar case occurred years back at Barangay Mayana and covered some houses, a chapel and the national road for months until the movement stopped.

The mayor said many landslides take place during rainy days, and he already reported the “moving landslide” to the Office of the Civil Defense, and the Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for proper evaluation.

Abrenilla said he was still waiting for the results of the evaluation, but he already warned residents in the affected barangay to go to safe areas, especially during night time.

Technical men of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office also conducted another assessment of the landslide area. They reported their findings that some big boulders and land mass have been sinking deeper, and that they heard sounds of water underneath.

Barangays Boctol and Mayana were among the areas in this town that were noted vulnerable to landslides, according to the Bohol Environment Management Office, which officer-in-charge Samuel Racho had already reported to the meeting of the Provincial DRRMC, presided by Governor Edgar Chatto last week.

According to an advisory from the Geohazard Mapping and Assessment teams of the MGB-7, areas rated “high in susceptibility to landslide” were four barangays in Garcia-Hernandez town; three in Buenavista; two in Calape; and one each in Inabanga, Carmen and Danao.

Those with “high in landslide vulnerability” were: 14 barangays in Loboc town; six each in Loon and Carmen; five in Duero; three each in Jagna and Anda; and two in Guindulman; and one each in Pilar, Sierra-Bullones and Alicia.

Classified under “moderate” prone to landslide were:12 barangays in Loboc town; 11 in Garcia-Hernandez; five in Danao; four each in Maribojoc, Loon, Jagna, Baclayon and Guindulman; three each in Anda, San isidro, Carmen, Loay and Pilar; two each in Buenavista, Calape, Dimiao, San Miguel, Alicia and Candijay; and one each in Lila, Inabanga and Talibon.