Government taps firm vs landslides

MANILA, Philippines - The government is working with a private company to stabilize areas around the country that are prone to landslide and soil erosion.

The Department of Public Works and Highways has tapped the services of Rebtrade International Corp., a company engaged in specialty construction chemicals, for the stabilization of mountain slopes.

Rebtrade is currently working on a side of a mountain along Kennon Road, installing a mesh of high-tensile wires that is anchored with soil or rock nails to secure the slope.        

The technology is effective compared to shotcreting, a process in which concrete is sprayed onto the surface to prevent erosion and landslides,  Rebtrade corporate administrative head Tanya Syyap said in a statement sent to The STAR.

Syyap pointed to a photo that appeared on the front page of yesterday’s issue of The STAR showing two men hanging on the side of the mountain along Kennon Road.

She said the high-tensile wire system was applied on the slope and not shotcrete.