• RICHARD T. CABALLERO JR.
Authorities confirmed that a portion of the mountain slope located at Camp Valdez, Brgy. Mambaroto in Sipalay City, Negros Occidental, has collapsed, and a possible landslide may occur.
Sipalay City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office Coordinator Dionilo Bogtae said yesterday that the discovery was first reported by a concerned citizen, and they immediately inspected the area and verified the information.
Based on their initial investigation, the crack seen was approximately 3 meters in depth, 2.6 feet wide, and 80 meters long.
Bogtae also reported that the collapse was verified after they discovered that a drainage canal located along the highway was filled by sediments that came from the eroded area.
“As of the moment, we cannot tell yet if the crack was caused by heavy rains or by the recent earthquakes felt in Sipalay City,” he said, explaining that they are still waiting for an expert to verify the cause of the crack while the city also coordinated with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to conduct their own assessment.
He further said that they had already installed markings in the area to determine if any erosion will develop in the following days. They also installed warning devices for safety measures.
As of the moment, authorities had advised the public to refrain from visiting the area, as authorities marked the area as unstable and said that landslides may occur at any time.
Motorists and travelers traversing the said area were advised to take precautionary measures.
The DRRMO had already coordinated with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) for a comprehensive geo-hazard assessment of the said site.*
