Friday, February 18, 2011

Gov calls DRRM to inspect
Earth movements’ causes

GOVERNOR Edgar Chatto issues calls for all disaster risk reduction managers (DRRM) to inspect and report any earth movements in their respective areas in the wake of land slips happening in a town here.

Local officials have reported a land slip, with crack measuring more than a meter wide, in barangays Magsaysay, Dusita and Danicop in Sierra Bullones town.

The landslip is the latest of the land movements reported here as disaster authorities pointed to the continuous rains in the past week affecting the integrity of the earth’s base and forcing the movements.

Few days ago, similar land slips were noted in barangays Bosongon and Cawayanan of Tubigon, in barangay Tubod Monte of Jagna town and in Barangay Abejilan of Garcia Hernandez.

The early land slips however left no human casualty but temporarily cut off crucial road links connecting Tubigon to Catigbian, Sierra Bullones to Jagna and to some barangays of Garcia Hernandez.

The latest landslip however prove to be more destructive as the slip caused cracks in the walls of houses and shifts in the soil leaving gaping dangerous fissures, reported Magsaysay barangay chairman Germogenes Tadle in a radio interview Thursday.

He also said a house in his barangay has a kitchen slowly separating from the living room, the crack in between creating a void dangerous for its residents.

Governor Chatto said he and Mayor Alfredo Gamalo have conducted ocular inspections on the affected areas and met with the families to warn them and assure their safety at evacuation sites.

Aside from bringing in relief assistance, the mayor in a radio interview said he has advised residents to go to the nearest temporary resettlement at Dusita High School at night and in case the movements do not stop.

The resettlement, he said is located about a kilometer away from the affected areas.

The mayor also added that a troop of government soldiers camped at Dusita would help monitor the situation and alert authorities of any other developments.

On this, Chatto has called on Disaster Risk Reduction Managers to inspect these affected areas and determine its causes so appropriate interventions can be done.

At least 23 families living in barangay Magsaysay and some more families living in Danicop and Dusita have been affected, several houses already unfit for stay.

The cracks in Magsaysay have affected rice-farm lots and these continue to widen everyday, the movements already tearing into the newly constructed road sections of the national highway posing danger to travelers. (racPIABohol)