HOUSES IN DANGER OF COLLAPSING
Cebu City Hall ordered portion of Sitio Garahe, Busay closed following a landslide in the area
Motorists in the mountain Barangay of Busay, Cebu City going to Mountain View Nature Park are advised to use caution after a portion of Sitio Garahe has been temporarily closed following a landslide there last Monday.
Nagiel Bañacia, head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CCDRRMO), said that although the affected area is passable, the barangay officials have decided to temporarily close it to ensure public safety.
This, though, is not the first landslide to hit the area.
Last January, 11 vehicles were hit by falling debris after a heavy downpour at dawn caused soil to loosen along the road in Sitio Garahe.
Given its history as a landslide-prone area, Bañacia asked City Hall engineers yesterday to conduct an ocular in the area.
“The engineers were there to check technical concerns and arrange procedures with the barangay. They recommend demolishing the structure atop the loose soil to avoid any further erosion,” he said.
At City Hall, the City Council urged the owners of the property to conduct an immediate clearing operation of structures left hanging by the landslide, as these may end up falling on motorists and passersby.
In an approved resolution authored by Councilor Jerry Guardo, the council also asked the owners to put up sheet piles around their property to prevent further soil erosion and to build a retaining wall.
Two landslides also happened in Barangays Sapangdaku and Buhisan following the heavy downpour last Monday.
Bañacia said there are no reports of casualties or injuries in all three landslide incidents.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña, for his part, has directed CCDRRMO to deploy and put on standby all heavy equipment in the mountain barangays to fast-track clearing operations in the event of disasters. /