Mysterious land fissures alarm town officials

SIERRA-BULLONES, BOHOL, Philippines  — Unexplained earth cracks in at least three barangays of this town has alarmed Mayor Alfredo Gamalo and municipal officials over the safety of residents in these areas.

The mayor bared that a group of experts have just visited the affected areas but the findings and causes have yet to be determined, as no one knows yet what triggered these fissures.

Gamalo told The Freeman he tried to persuade the people, whose dwellings were partially destroyed by the cracks, to transfer to safer areas or take pre-cautionary measures.

He said 20 families who had their dwellings partially destroyed by the cracks were in Barangay Magsaysay, three in Brgy. Dusita, and others in Brgy. Danicop, which is the most worrisome considering that the village lies beneath a mountain vulnerable to the cracks.

Some of the residents have been "hard-headed," Gamalo said, and they just told him they will only pray for their safety. Others insisted they could not abandon their places because these have been their sources of livelihood.

The residents said the most they needed now are materials for repair of their damaged houses, a matter that the mayor might consider providing them.

Asked about the land subsidence in Barangay Bugsoc, the mayor said it was different but of similar occurrence, because the fissures there were massive that cut a few kilometers across a mountain. No single dwelling was affected however when it hit about six years ago, he said.

Some mountain barangays of Loboc town also experienced the same in recent years. (FREEMAN)