Landslide buries 2-hectare farm in Negros Oriental

BACOLOD CITY — Days of heavy rains caused a cliff to collapse, burying a two-hectare ricefield in Tayasan, Negros Oriental last Sunday, authorities said.

Although there were no casualties, Lt. Col. Norman Flores, commanding officer of the Army’s 61st Infantry Battalion based in Cauayan, Negros Occidental, said they were taking steps to ensure the safety of the residents of Barangay Ilaya.

Negros Oriental is one of the areas considered prone to geological hazards.

Meanwhile, a rescue team from Bacolod City, led by the Philippine National Red Cross, has joined efforts to retrieve the bodies of villagers buried in the massive landslide in Barangay Guinsaugon in Saint Bernard, Southern Leyte.

Team leader Jose Antonio Mabayag said the rescuers include miners who brought their equipment and generators to aid them in their retrieval operations.

Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Marañon said the provincial government is pooling its resources to extend a helping hand to the affected families.

Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia has coordinated with the Social Action Center of the Diocese of Bacolod for a fund-raising campaign.