Cordillera landslide-prone roads to be fixed

BAGUIO CITY— Landslide-prone road sections in the Cordillera region would be fixed by district offices of the Department of Public Works and Highways to prevent closure of national roads during the rainy and typhoon seasons, a ranking DPWH regional official said last week.

Edilberto Carabbacan, DPWH regional director, said at least 10 national road sections in region are prone to landslides, rockslides, mudslides and soil erosions during heavy rains and typhoons which impede the smooth flow of traffic and the continuous transport of agricultural crops from the farms to the markets.

Among the identified vulnerable road sections are the Gueset section of the Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya road, Ongkalew of the Tinongdan Dalupirip road, Ambassador and Gonogon of the Halsema highway, Sumigar of the Bontoc to Banaue road, Tinglayan of the Bontoc-Tabuk-Tuguegarao road and several other sections of secondary national arterial roads in the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Kalinga, Ifugao and Mountain Province.

Carabbacan ordered different district offices to take advantage of the summer months to clear debris on the verge of being washed down so that they will have fewer landslides during the rainy months.

He said mitigating measures must be put in place, especially in the identified landslide-prone road sections, so that closure of roads to vehicular traffic that last for several days during the typhoon months will be reduced and that the safety of the motoring and commuting public will be guaranteed.

Apart from instituting mitigating measures along critical road sections, the DPWH regional office is also studying the adaption of technologies that could reduce landslides as well as detect the occurrence of earth movements.

Meanwhile, the Cordillera office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources here said around 70 percent of the region’s land area is highly susceptible to landslides while 10 percent is flood-prone.

However, Clarence Baguilat, DENR-CAR regional director, said the public should not be alarmed because it is a major characteristic of a mountainous terrain.

By knowing the topography of areas in Cordillera, people could adapt measures to help prevent or avoid landslides that pose a serious threat to life and limb, Baguilat said.

The DENR has completed the 1:50,000 geohazard mapping for the whole region and the 1:10,000 geohazard mapping for Baguio and Benguet which will serve as the basis for government authorities in planning construction of buildings and infrastructure.

The geohazard maps should be used as a guide for plans to construct buildings and houses.