MORE NEWS, MOUNTAIN PROVINCE

Landslide threatens 159 houses in Bontoc
BY DEXTER A. SEE

BONTOC, Mountain Province – The Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council has urged owners of 159 houses and rice granaries in Barangay Dalican here to relocate to safe grounds as the foundation of their village is being threatened by “a progressing landslide.

The PDCC made the recommendation to save residential houses and other structures from destruction as well as lives of local folk.

An on-site geo-hazard investigation conducted by staff of the Cordillera office of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and the provincial offices of Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Science and Technology, and Philippine Information Agency showed the landslide was progressing towards the residential areas of Dalican Proper and now approximately 20 meters from the nearest house.

Benigno Cesar Espejo, MGB supervising geologist, said the landslide has already damaged some farms.

He said there was possibility of further progression of the landslide and other geohazard instabilities in the area as evidenced by sinking and cracks at the upslope of the slide.

The MGB report said Dalican Proper was located in an old landslide fault as shown by underlying colluvial deposits made mostly of boulders.

Aside from urging the affected Dalican villagers to evacuate the area, the PDCC also made other recommendations of the MGB for the possibility of widespread erosion in the Dalican village.

Gov. Maximo Dalog, chairman of PDCC, in last week’s council meeting, instructed the provincial engineering office to the assess the situation of the hazardous area and prepare a program of work for the construction of a drainage canal to divert a creek the water that is directly flowing to the landslide area.

MGB officials recommended the diversion of the drainage canal, saying this would p[prevent the saturation of water in the unstable slope, which is one of the factors in the buildup of the landslide.

Dalog reiterated his earlier suggestion for a vegetative cover at the eroded portion by planting fast-growing trees, urging the DENR and ENRO concerned sectors to lead the tree-plating drive.

Norberto Cobaldez, head of the DOST provincial office, advised owners of rice fields near the upslope of the landslide to plant their farms with dry crops or plants that need less water to avoid further water saturation in the area.

Members of the council agreed to give P5,000 financial assistance from the calamity fund to each family who wants to transfer their houses to safe location.

On MGB’s suggestion of the introduction of engineering measures such as terracing and slope protection, the council said this is not possible because it would entail much fund.