MGB Urges Escalante Residents in Danger Zone to Evacuate

The residents of Sitio Baloc of Brgys. Malasibog and Paitan in Escalante City are urged by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) to evacuate the area after its assessment team found out that the place is dangerous for them.

MGB-6 Regional Director Leo Van Juguan, in his letter to Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. dated January 18, 2012, said that the agency is “strongly recommending” the relocation of all residents in Sitio Baloc to a safer area, like the barangay proper of Brgys. 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. All the houses in the area are located in slopes or foot slopes that are prone to landslides, Juguan said, quoting Suerte’s reports.

The assessment was made after land fissures were reported in Sitio Baloc since January 10. Provincial Social Welfare Officer Liane Garcia, through the Office of the Governor, had requested the MGB-6 to assess the affected areas.

As of January 16, 53 families from Sitio 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, based on Suerte’s reports, also recommended that the damaged buildings at the Malasibog Elementary School, currently occupied by evacuees, must be abandoned as the structures pose a risk to them, as well as the students and the teachers using the facility.

He also 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 said several landslides also occurred at the slopes of Mt. Solitario last December 27, 2011. Its slopes show signs of active soil creep, like tilted trees, she added.

A rapid geo-hazard assessment conducted by MGB-6 in 2010 classified Mt. Solitario as “susceptible to landslides,” the report added.

Ten houses were also buried when landslides occurred there in 2006, it added.

Surte 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.

Juguan, meanwhile, also recommended that signages declaring the landslide site as danger zone must be installed in the area and its vicinity.

He said that the implementation of these four recommendations will keep the community residents safe in case landslides will occur there again.*(DBDangcalan)