After landslide hit nearby slope: Classes in Naga school suspended

CEBU, Philippines -  Upon the inspection and recommendation of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau-7 of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, temporary suspension of classes in a high school in Barangay Pandan, Naga City has been in place since Thursday.

This after a landslide hit a 1.3-hectare area last July 31 at past 12 noon, which is just about 30 meters away from Don Emilio Canonigo Memorial National High School (DECMNHS) with 345 students and 16 teachers.

“Our geohazards mapping and assessment team led by chief geologist Al Emil Berador came with a landslide susceptibility rating of very high or critical which means that this an active landslide zone and still moving or continue to slide,” said MGB-7 Regional Director Loreto Alburo.

Alburo said his office wrote a letter to DECMNHS principal Nicandra Arañas yesterday to ask her to continue suspending classes in the meantime that the unstable soil or rock mass at the upper part of an unstable slope is still there.

Upon investigation, the three-member team noted an old landslide, with canal or gulley in between two hills, characterized as a very steep slope with an approximate affected area of 1.3 hectares.  The type of soil is mostly tuff, a highly-fractured material.

With this, MGB-7 issued a landslide threat advisory after the ocular inspection last July 3 and it was received by Barangay Councilor Alvin Alinsonorin with about seven recommendations.

The recommendations are the following: reduce the slope height or inclination; implement slope stabilization measures with the Naga City Mayor’s Office and Apo Cement Corporation (APC); continuously monitor the movement; inform and warn the residents to become vigilant of the situation especially those residents near the south wall of the affected area; cordon off and prevent people from venturing near the affected site; and temporarily evacuate residents along the south wall during heavy rains.

Naga City Mayor Valdemar Chiong said the local government unit is facilitating the implementation of DENR’s recommendation.

“They are now in the process of stabilizing the area, relocation is considered, and rehabilitation will be done when all is stable,” Chiong said.

Naga City Community Environment and Natural Resources Office chief Ma. Obdulla Lescano said classes will resume Monday but classrooms near the crack will temporarily hold classes under tents.

CEMEX will provide tents and chairs, Lescano added.

Alburo received the information on the incident after a phone call from APC’s Ariel Lazarte last July 31.  On that day, APC deployed a backhoe to start moving down the unstable slope.

A resident relayed to MGB hearing a roaring sound then saw small rocks falling at 12:30 p.m.

“Incessant rains there may be one of the factors that push the landslides,” Alburo added.

The mining firm set out yesterday one backhoe and one bulldozer to speed up the slope stabilization measures by cutting work and removing unstable soil materials expected to be completed Wednesday.

An estimated volume of about 700,000 cubic meters was observed to be toppled down in order to stabilize the slope.

In an interview with Pandan Barangay Captain Aurelio Alinsonorin and some residents, they said that there were successive heavy rains which took more than four days before a recorded slide yesterday.

There were discussions on the hazards present over the area and the need to remove down the soil materials so that it will not endanger lives and property.

In a related development, some 26 sitios in 17 barangays in Naga City are either categorized or rated as high to very high to landslides and flooding in a geohazard assessment using a 1:10,000-scale by the MGB-7.

The results of the mapping showed that out of 18 sitios which were classified as high risks for landslides, eight and ten sitios were rated as very critical and critical or high, respectively.

“Our regular reminder or advisory to the local chief executives to use the geohazards maps and the findings including recommendations in determining the appropriate interventions or measures they will take,” said DENR-7 Regional Executive Director Dr. Isabelo R. Montejo.

Montejo said it is better to be pro-active always considering the danger o geological hazards like landslides and flooding to the communities. —/NSA (FREEMAN)