BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Cracks in the ground at Sitio Manaol in Brgy. Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental, have resurfaced, 15 years after the occurrence of a similar phenomenon in 2007.
Moises Padilla Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia Yulo disclosed that they are preparing the evacuation of 18 families in the area where ground fissures were observed after heavy rains last week.
Yulo, who led the inspection of the ground fissures in Sitio Manaol, said it was assessed by the Municipal Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Office that the cracks could grow and cause a landslide if rains continue.
In 2007, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources discovered an area comprising almost 700 hectares in Brgy. Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla, designated as an “active landslide site,” following the discovery of several huge cracks in the ground.
Resident farmers have however remained in the area for almost 15 years now, despite the phenomenon.
Yulo said one of the farmers revealed to her that the ground at his farm collapsed by about two feet.
She advised the affected families to temporarily seek shelter with their relatives away from danger zone, or to stay at the municipal evacuation center.
Yulo also committed to provide transportation for the affected families, with regard to hauling of valuables from their homes.
The evacuation is necessary for the safety of the people, she stressed.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported in 2007 that the cracks in the area have nothing to do with the activity of Kanlaon volcano, as it suspected it was triggered by constant rains which loosened the soil.*
