• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is investigating another ground deformation, which it described as a “cover collapse,” that falls under the category of a sinkhole, in Sitio Bugho, Barangay General Luna, Toboso, Negros Occidental.
Toboso Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management officer Jun Carbajosa said the newly-found ground deformation is about three kilometers away from Sitio Bairan in the same batangay, where another sinkhole estimated at around 11.5 meters deep was discovered in previous weeks.
The newly-discovered ground deformation has a depth of one foot, with a diameter of 90 meters, according to Carbajosa.
A team of MGB is returning to the barangay on the second week of March to further investigate the ground deformations in sitios Bairan and Bugho.
Carbajosa said the vicinity of two ground deformations have been cordoned by local authorities.
He suspects that the ground deformation may have been triggered by continuing rains, which triggered soil erosion.
Carbajosa said the 11.5-meter deep sinkhole appears to be stable for now, as the soil is no longer moving downward.*
