Landslides damage fifty houses in Catmon

Some 50 houses, rice fields and roads were damaged when landslides hit sitio Guintigian, barangay Cabungaan and barangay Panalipan in the municipality of Catmon recently.

Catmon municipal planning and development coordinator Nelson Ares said that they received an initial report that on July 31 a landslide destroyed three houses that are within the 100-meter radius and 15-feet deep area that was hit by soil erosion.

Cabungaan barangay officials reported to Catmon Mayor Estrella Aribal that there was continuous movement of soil and increasing number of cracks in the area

This prompted the mayor to immediately order for an inspection in the place. It was found out that the earth movement was slowly leading towards the adjoining lower barangay of Panalipan.

Cracks were observed growing wider everyday, threatening more houses, agricultural land, a Transco tower, water intake boxes and reservoir and the road.

The findings were then relayed to Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7.

In the letter submitted to MGB7 on August 13, Estrella requested for an ocular inspection on the affected area.

Results rapid geohazard assessment revealed that major landslide happened sometime in the first week of August.

MGB7 senior science research specialist Abraham Lucero Jr. said residents told them that an earthquake may have triggered the landslide and re-mobilized previous minor landslides in the place.

It was also found out that the landslide damaged 38 households in barangay Cabungaan, 10 households in barangay Panalipan, agricultural lands within the immediate vicinity that includes 100 coconut trees and rice fields and a section of a farm to market road in the two barangays mentioned.

The area affected is approximately 15 to 20 hectares located about two to three kilometers west of the provincial highway. The width of the affected area by landslide ranges from 100 to 300 meters and 300 meters high.

As of the time of survey, the area is still very unstable. Debris materials are still slowly moving and several new cracks are still developing. The distance of the crown of the landslide to toe of landslide in the vicinities of one of the Transco tower is approximately 1 to 1.5 kilometer.

Transco is already advised to relocate the power line to avoid future alteration and accidents.

Lucero said the landslide might have been due to the nature of its soil. The soil is composed of thin to thick bedded sandstone and shale, which is easily infiltrated by water during rains making the soil heavy that triggers the landslide.

With this, MGB-7 recommended for the abandonment of the area until such time the soil condition gets stable. Warning signs and barricades should be installed to inform public about the risk of venturing into the zone.

Immediate rehabilitation of the affected road is not advisable because of the unstable condition of the area.

Families affected were already relocated mostly to Sitio Tipolo, Cabungaan while some stayed temporarily with relatives.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development 7 and the local government have provided relief goods to victims.

Lucero said the captain of Cabungaan is also planning to give P1,000 per family per day for financial assistance. — Jessica Ann Pareja/WAB