MGB-7 declares a sitio in Naga City as 'no habitation' zone
By Hazel F. Gloria
CEBU CITY, Sept. 9 (PIA) -- The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB-7) declared the 150-meter radius in Sitio Pangilatan in Barangay Cantao-an, Cebu as “no habitation” zone after a rockfall incident which pinned down a couple to death recently.
Dionisio Vilarmia, 42, and his wife, Julieta, 47, died when a boulder 0.5-meter in diameter fell on their hut made of light materials. The couple’s two children aged 13 and 11 survived.
The MGB-7 also recommended the putting up of a warning sign to inform the public of inherent danger or risk of the place; a possible diversion of a trail or road due to the proximity of the said site; and a close and regular monitoring on the progress of mass movement.
The vertical distance of the Vilarmia’s house was 106 meters from the source of the rockfall, said Abraham Lucero Jr., science specialist and geologist who conducted the investigation on Sept 8.
One of the effects of intense and prolonged rains is oversaturation of the soil or rock debris that eventually cause rocks fall and soil landslide explained Mines regional director Loreto Alburo.
Alburo said our local officials should not be complacent and should take a serious look into the findings and recommendations on geohazards as lives and pieces of property are at stake here.
“We have the geohazards maps available at our websites in three government agencies and a non-government organization downloadable for free indicating the critical areas,” he said.
Data from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in Mactan showed that last September 4 from 1:40 p.m. to 2:47 p.m., it recorded a rainfall of 23.7 millimeters and at 9:35 p.m. it went up to 40.6 millimeters.
Lucero explained that the rockfall is attributed to the heavy rains on that day, and the slope gradient of 70 to 80 degrees which is considered very steep.
Communities, Alburo added, should also pay attention to the warnings and should leave immediately the area if it is already declared as “no habitation” site by MGB-7.
To recall, three sitios in the said barangay were rated as very critical to landslide susceptibility and these were Pangpang, Tayad-tayad, and Balico.
The same findings in August 2011 also revealed that sitios Proper Cantao-an, Township, and Riverside were classified as high to landslides.(mbcn/HFG-PIA-7/DENR-7)