Mines bureau-7 conducts field investigation in Naga City

By Hazel F. Gloria

CEBU CITY, Sept 8 (PIA) -- The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) 7 is sending a senior geologist to conduct a field investigation, after two died in a landslide in Brgy. Cantao-an, this city. 

Loreto Alburo, MGB 7 regional director, said the incident may be attributed to the combination of several factors such as heavy rainfall, type of soil or rock that easily absorbs water, very steep slopes, and the earthquake that hit some parts of Cebu province last August 31. 

Based on the results of the geohazard assessment in a 1:10,000 scale last August 25, 2011, three sitios in the said barangay were rated as very high for landslide susceptibility and these were Pangpang, Tayad-tayad, and Balico. 

The same findings also revealed that sitios Proper Cantao-an, Township, and Riverside were categorized as high. 

Senior Science Research Specialist and geologist Abraham Lucero will conduct the investigation. 

“We should be prepared and vigilant all times as we don’t know when heavy rains will occur especially in those communities at the foot of the mountain as many geohazards are water or rain induced,” Alburo said. 

Meanwhile, MGB-7 provided a copy of the geohazard assessment report on September 13, 2011 in Brgy. Cantao-an with landslide susceptibility rating and a landslide advisory letter, which was received by a certain barangay official Cerila Abes. 

“We are strongly urging our local chief executives, particularly the barangay captains, to revisit and restudy the landslide susceptibility rating and landslide advisory letter which we issued to them so that they know where landslide or flooding would likely occur in their area,” he added. 

Areas usually with steep to very steep slopes and underlain by weak materials with recent landslides, escarpments and tension cracks are classified as very high to landslide susceptibility.(HFG/PIA-7/DENR-7)