BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) in Region 6 has released the results of its survey of the ground cracks in Sitio Manaol, Barangay Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental conducted in August.
The cracks were part of the landslide that took place back in 2009, said Engineer Leilanie Suerte, supervising geologist for MGB-6.
Suerte said the type of landslide in Sitio Manaol was “active creeping” and estimated to have a length of 2.34 kilometers and an area of 0.97 square kilometers.
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 added.
She warned of the possibility that the flow could be rapid when triggered by a strong earthquake.
Suerte cited the Guihulngan landslide events triggered by a magnitude 6.7 earthquake in 2012.
They identified at least 18 houses and structures in the area of the moving mass.
Suerte added that the landslide in the area may further progress, especially if the nearby Tig-buaya Creek is struck by flashfloods during continuous heavy downpour or strong tremors.
MGB-6 already passed a recommendation to the municipal government of Moises Padilla to declare the area a “High Risk/Danger Zone” and a “No Build Zone.”
No amount of engineering intervention could stop the slow-moving landslide, Suerte stressed.
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 are placed.
Last month, Moises Padilla 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 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./PN
