Leyte Samar Daily Express
PALO, Leyte — With the completion of the rapid geohazard assessment in Eastern Visayas region’s landslide prone areas, Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) the other day reported some 1,767 barangays from 107 towns assessed by geologists and 2,114 villages.
In a report submitted to Office of Civil Defense, disclosed that the city of Maasin, Silago, Hinunangan, Hinundayan, Anahawan, San Juan, St Bernard, Liloan,Panaon Island, San Francisco Panaon- Island, Pintuyan- Panaon Island, Libagon, Sogod, Bontoc, Tomas Oppus, Malitbog, Padre Burgos, Macrohon and Limasawa, all of Southern Leyte, are hazard to landslide.
One-hundred four barangays were identified highly susceptible for the landslide, 142 moderate and 208 are posted to be low susceptible.
The entire 8 municipalities in Biliran, were identified prone to landslides including the 18 barangays posted to be high risk , 45 moderate and 37 in low.
In Eastern Samar, according to MGB rapid geohazard assessment, also revealed that the towns of Balangiga, Balangkayan, Borongan, Can-Avid, Dolores, Giporlos, Guian, Hernani, Lawaan, Llorente, Gen. Mc-Arthur, Maydolong, Mercedes, Oras, Quinapondan, Salcedo, San Julian, San Policarpio, Sulat and Taft.
At least 54 villages are identified high risk in landslide, 76 are in moderate and 89 in low hazard.
However 20 towns in Northern Samar were confirmed to be also in hazard to landslides, these are the municipalities of Catubig, Gamay, Allen, Biri, Bobon, Capul, Catarman,Laoang, Lapinig, Las Navas, Lavezares, Lope de Vega, Mapanas, Mondragon, Palapag, Pambujan, Rosario, San Antonio, San Isiidro, San Jose, San Roque, San Vicente and the town of Victoria.
The 86 barangays are identified as high risk in landslide, 167 in moderate and 133 are low, it further reported
It is being observed that only Samar province has the lowest number of areas prone to landslide with only Basey, Calbayog, Marabut and Talalora, with 15 Barangays are in highly susceptible , 11 are in moderate and 10 are low.
Meanwhile, the geohazard assessment also identified 13 towns in Leyte prone to earthquake as they are 24 km wide danger zone along the Philippine Fault zone, 19 in Southern Leyte and 6 in Biliran province.
While it is being described parallel NW Faults to the Philippine Fault Zone, the City of Tacloban, Babatngon, San Miguel, Sta. Fe, Palo, Tanauan, Tolosa, while the city of Calbayog, Catbalogan and San Sebastian in Samar are also prone to earthquake, only the municipalities of Giporlos and Can-Avid are hazard to earthquake.
It may be recalled President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) the immediate conduct of a rapid geohazard assessment after the landslides tragedy occurred in Feb. 17,2006 that buried the entire village of Guinsaugon St. Bernard Southern Leyte claimed thousand of lives .
The geohazard assessment was made to primarily pinpoint areas that were disaster-prone, particularly to landslide and floods.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) is bent on completing the rapid geohazard assessment in some areas in the country.
Barangays with high potentials refer to those with presence of active faults or there was an occurrence of recent landslides, presence of numerous and large tension cracks that would directly affect the community, there are areas that are prone to landslide damming and have steep slopes.
Those with moderate potentials on the other hand have areas with inactive and old landslides and there are presence of smaller tension cracks which are located away from the community.
Barangay leaders whose areas are identified prone to disaster were already provided with the advisory sheet, according to OCD regional director Angel Gaviola.
The geohazard mapping can be used by concerned local government units for their land use plan and disaster reduction management. (MIRIAM GARCIA DESACADA)
The Provincial Government and local officials of every municipality must adopt a unified development planning strategy to address potential problems now, that it has been confirmed that “the entire 8 municipalities in Biliran, were identified prone to landslides including the 18 barangays posted to be high risk , 45 moderate and 37 in low.”
These barangays must be identified and appropriate measures taken. Pro-active steps must be taken now to save the future.
Mining is out of the question.
Totally agree with kalikasan.
These barangays in Biliran province MUST be identified to take precautionary measures. After the recent ravages in northern part of country, Biliranon should be a little bit
smarter.
Whoever had the upper hand to APPROVE and then CANCELLED the mining in Caibiran should be held RESPONSIBLE for any disaster(God forbids!) that will happen in the area. He should be held for MURDER if someone will die.
Just imagine as if he is HIRING someone to do the dirty job,
just like hiring to do the IRRESPONSIBLE blogging here(hi, utip)
while he is just SMILING in the background and a big name
and picture at the provincial hospital, as if saying to the people,
“Hi, Welcome to My Place of Misery….Enjoy Your Stay”.
Be wise and be braved, people, in 2010.
Well said Anti dynasty;
Should landslide occurs in that portion were the sulphur extraction takes place… it will damage everything downward where the lives our our fellow Caibiranhons will be at stake.
There was no reparation paid for this abuse and the clan’s people keep on finger pointing even up to this time but people in the cyberspace know who benefited well in this operation… the clan’s people themselves….
I am sad to know that there people in Caibiran who have been turning blind eye on this issue. Some of this people are elected officials whose loyalty seem not to the people of Caibiran who voted them but to the dynasty who have instigated this destruction of Caibiran mountain..
I am afraid that should calamitiy occur in this area.. These officials will not be the victim but will continue to wash their hands orally about this problem..
They wil continue to be deaf and mute about this issue because the clan wishes them to gag them forever. They are my friends but my respect to these recepients of the blood money. We have trusted them to govern us well but the fail to deliver to us what they have promised. They were blinded by money and the previledge that the clan promised them.
They do not feel the warp of the nature yet because they were coddle by those powers that be in Biliran Provincial Capitol but once disaster strikes..all of them will be responsible why such man made calamity takes place in our town. They have forgotten that money is not everything in public governance.what is important is their credibility to govern and earn the respect of their constituents… Caibiran history will judge them as corrupt and as numb to the real sentiments of Caibiranhons.. that is to free themselves from the bondage of corruption and ignorance brought about by patronizing the scrupolous Quezon City residents whose mission is to get rich quick in Biliran.