TACLOBAN CITY — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) closed a major highway in Southern Leyte on Thursday due to potential landslides.
The road in Pancho Villa village in Sogod town, which forms part of the long highway that links Visayas to Mindanao, will be closed for a few days due to immediate anti-landslide measures, said DPWH-Southern Leyte chief Margarita Junia.
“No vehicle is allowed to pass the area as we continue to work on preventing a major landslide and monitor the situation. We are still looking for solution and the road will remain close until further notice,” Junia said in a mobile phone interview Friday.
Motorists bound for Benit port in Southern Leyte are advised to take the longer Tacloban–Mahaplag–Baybay –Bato–Bontoc – Sogod – Daang Maharlika – Liloan – San Ricardo road route. Another alternative is the Abuyog-Silago Road. Benit port is the region’s gateway to Mindanao.
The road section is a few kilometers away from Agas-Agas Bridge, the country’s tallest. The road stretch has been tagged as highly susceptible to landslides.
“The DPWH noticed an early signs of landslide due to heavy rains experienced for the past two days. The local government also advised residents nearby to evacuate,” Junia added.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has recently ranked Southern Leyte province as the seventh most vulnerable to heavy landslides in the Philippines.
Based on MGB’s geo-hazard mapping and assessment, the province recorded a 78 percent landslide probability. (PNA)
