Tension cracks found in 3 barangays in Maribojoc, Bohol

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7 has identified at least three barangays in Bohol as danger zones because of the presence of tension cracks following the powerful earthquake that jolted the province in October last year.

DENR-7 issued a subsidence advisory and ordered the evacuation of residents living near the areas identified to be susceptible to soil movement. The barangays are Poblacion, Anislag, and Guiwanon in the municipality of Maribojoc.

The DENR-7 has advised local officials to take precautionary measures, including forced evacuation.

Two tension cracks were found in Sitio San Juan and in Parroquia de la Santa Cruz-Santa Cruz Elementary School in Barangay Poblacion.

The first tension crack is parallel to the elongated reclaimedland towards the pier and located on both sides measuring 10 meters long, 0.3 meters wide and 0.5 meters deep.

“Relocation of residents along this stretch of road is highly recommended. Aside from ground subsidence, this area is also vulnerable to other hazards such as storm surges and tsunamis,” the advisory for Sitio San Juan read.

It added that the school and the church have also to be relocated as the second tension crack was spotted in an open space and barangay road on a reclaimed area near the two structures whose largest cracks measured 0.5 meters wide.

In Barangay Guiwanon, the community within Purok 1 along the national road had rock fall of highly fractured limestone showing dissolution features parallel to the slope.

The same area has tension cracks at the other side of the road parallel to the road measuring 20 meters long, 1 meter wide and 0.8 meter deep.

Further, a spring from an underground freshwater stream was also exposed due to the cracks.

A team of state geologists from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of DENR 7 conducted a sinkhole assessment over a week after the October 15 powerful earthquake destroying infrastructures in the province and  leaving several people dead.

Composing the inspection team is supervising science research specialist Liza Socorro Manzano, senior science research specialist Elsa Mula, geologist Kevin Ondona, geologist Ma. Lourdes Stephanie Leido, engineer Beltran De Lara, administrative assistant Roberto Avellana, GIS specialist Mark Carlo Canlas, and GIS specialist Catherine Rivas. (FREEMAN)