BONTOC, Mountain Province – The Mines and Geosciences Bureau – Cordillera Administrative Region (MGB-CAR) recommended the relocation of 115 families living at the foot of a mountain in two sitios in Barangay Samoki of this municipality as the village is threatened by landslide.
Prior to this, Governor Leonard G. Mayaen who is also the chair of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) has requested the MGB- CAR to conduct inspection following the report of the Khefa-Pawek Parents Movement Organization that mountain rocks roll down the village and residents have seen cracks on the surface of the mountain.
MGB Supervising Geologist Benigno Cesar L. Espejo and Geologist Kelvin Carlo S. Gaerlan in their Geo-hazard Assessment Report received by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office here, cited that the area is experiencing instabilities due to the progressive complex landslide. Further, numerous tension cracks were evident on the surface of the mountain and active rock fall was noted directly above the residential area.
The widening of the cracks could trigger landslide threatening some 115 residential houses, the old Catholic church, an elementary school, and a day-care center in Sitios Pawek and Khefa.
As a long term solution, the geologists recommended the relocation of the affected residents and that the area should be declared as “danger zone”, therefore, the construction of new structure should be discouraged. The residents are also advised to evacuate their residential houses and move to safer places especially if it rains continuously to prevent possible loss of lives and properties.
Governor Mayaen acted quickly on the MGB report and said he will coordinate with other government agencies to provide assistance to the affected residents.
“We will make the appropriate representations with the concerned government agencies so that assistance will be extended to them to be able to identify possible relocation sites and for them to be able to start a new life in safer grounds,” assured Mayaen. By Alpine L. Killa
