Residents of landslide-hit Pulangbato face relocation

Local

FOLLOWING a landslide that killed three members of a family, residents living near the site in Barangay Pulangbato, Cebu City, may face relocation.

The city is assessing the risk of further soil movement and debris reaching nearby homes.

Mayor Nestor Archival said the city engineering team was assessing the area and identifying a possible relocation site after the Oct. 9 landslide in Sitio Riverside, Barangay Pulangbato, buried four family members, killing three and leaving one hospitalized.

Archival said debris had accumulated downhill and could reach or damage houses below if more material slid down the slope.

“The moment nga manaog tong naa sa ibabaw, modiretso gyud sa ilang balay,” Archival said in an interview.

The city was also assessing the slope above the affected houses to determine whether further landslides could threaten neighboring homes.

According to the latest report from the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CCDRRMC), 40 houses were listed for forced evacuation after the incident on Friday.

The report also recorded two totally damaged houses and 53 affected families, comprising 212 individuals.

Councilor Dave Tumulak, head of the CCDRRMC, said the city needed to identify a relocation site for residents living in landslide-prone areas.

“Kinahanglan gyud nga makapangitaan og relocation site atong lugara,” Tumulak said.

He cited information from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) indicating that the soil in the area was susceptible to landslides.

Tumulak attributed the Pulangbato landslide to heavy rainfall over several days, which may have weakened the soil.

He added that residents in landslide-prone areas had previously been advised to evacuate during periods of heavy rain.

The need for precautionary measures comes as the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) forecasts rain showers and thunderstorms over Cebu due to the Intertropical Convergence Zone.

Pagasa warned that occasional heavy rainfall could trigger flash floods or landslides, particularly in vulnerable areas.

Residents in landslide-prone communities are advised to monitor weather advisories and follow evacuation instructions from local authorities.(TGP)