6 Boljoon brgys under state of calamity

The town council of Boljoon has placed six barangays under state of calamity following a landslide last October 27.

Declared under state of calamity are the upland barangays of Lower Becerril, Upper Becerril, Nangka, Lunop, San Antonio and the downstream Barangay Poblcaion.

Furthermore, geologists are also recommending that Sitio Campo Franco in Barangay Lower Becerril be declared as a Permanent Danger Zone and No Habitation Zone.

Ruben Niere, information officer of Boljoon, earlier said that the affected areas lie on top of an active fault line which runs from Boljoon to Malabuyoc, based on a geological map made by a private surveyor.

He said this is the basis for their initial report that the landslide was caused by the fault line movement. Residents have said they had felt movement.

However, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau in the region (MGB-7) has reported that the landslide was caused by “incessant rain.”

Based on the report of MGB-7 posted on its website, the "incessant rain" in Barangay Lower Becerril caused the landslide in Sitio Camp Franco.

The report also said that the area's landslide susceptibility has been rated “very high” by their Geohazards Mapping and Assessment Team (GMAT) of MGB-7.

The bureau recommends that it is safer for residents to stay away from Sitio Camp Franco.

“A non-structural approach such as minimizing exposure to the hazard or total avoidance of the hazard may be practical in ensuring the safety of the residents,” the website quotes its regional director, Loreto B. Alburo.

Baltazar Tribunalo, head of the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), also urged the residents not to risk going near the areas.

“Awhag sa mga tawo, ayaw na lang balik didto sa duol sa dagko kaayo nga cracks,” Tribunalo said.

According to MGB7, there are numerous cracks that are about 20 to 60 centimeters wide in Barangay Lower Becerril where the rainwater has seeped through , causing the “over-saturation of the ground prior to the breaking off of the debris from the face of the mountain.”

MGB-7 added that debris from the landslide has blocked a section of the Losapon River which caused artificial damming of the river.

Tribunalo said that if the water from the artificial dam will be filled with rainwater, it may affect other barangays in Boljoon.

“Ang dam nianam og kataas… There are other barangays nga ma-affected kay adto man didto gyud ang tubig,” Tribunalo said.

The MGB-7 is advising the local government unit of Boljoon to cordon off the area and to monitor the water levels of the Losapon River.

“Should there be rapid change in water level, the DRRM is advised to alert the residents in Sitio Campo Franco and Barangay Poblacion to avoid any untoward incidents,” MGB advised.

Niere said they are now identifying the relocation site for the 18 families affected by the landslide, while Tribunalo also said that the Capitol plans to provide emergency shelter kits to the affected families.

Niere also said they will also ask assistance from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) to determine whether movement in the fault line could have triggered the landslide.