18 houses must be relocated from slow-moving landslide danger zone in M. Padilla

About 18 houses and structures inside the landslide danger zone in Sitios Santos-Santos and Manaol in Barangay Quintin Remo in Moises Padilla town must be relocated.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Western Visayas (MGB-6) bared this recommendation in an interview with the media this morning.

In their findings after conducting a series of surveys of the ground cracks discovered in August in the sitios, Engr. Leilanie Suerte, supervising geologist for MGB-6, said the ground cracks were part of the extent of a landslide that took place back in 2009.

Suerte said the type of landslide in Sitio Manaol and Santos-Santos is called an “active creeping landslide.”

The landslide was estimated to have a length of 2.34 kilometers and an area of 0.97 square kilometers.

Suerte said the slow-moving landslide is unnoticeable on a daily basis since it only moves a few millimeters per day during dry conditions and a few centimeters to a meter during saturated conditions.

Suerte warned that there is a possibility that the flow could be rapid when triggered by a strong earthquake. She took the example of the Guihulngan landslide events which were triggered by a magnitude 6.7 earthquake in 2012.

Suerte said they identified at least 18 houses and structures in the area of the moving mass.

She said the landslide in the area may further progress, especially if the nearby Tig-buaya Creek is struck by flashfloods during continous heavy downpour or strong tremors.

Suerte said they are recommending to the Municipal Government of Moises Padilla to declare the area as a “High Risk/Danger Zone and No Build Zone.”

She pointed out that no amount of engineering intervention can stop the slow-moving landslide.

All houses inside the danger zone would have to be relocated to a safer location, although using the land inside the danger zone for agricultural purposes can still be allowed, provided ample warning signs and notices should be placed.

Last month, Moises Padilla town Mayor Ella Garcia-Yulo invited both the MGB-6 and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) to conduct a survey of the ground cracks in Sitio Manaol.

The invitation came after local residents in the area reported seeing large cracks on the ground as well as soil erosion.

Town officials initially suspected that the cracks were caused by a fault line.

This morning, Mayor Garcia-Yulo, MGB experts and the town’s Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Office held a meeting to discuss the findings and recommendations.* (APT/DGB)