By Perla Lena/ PNA
ILOILO CITY — The Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) commenced its assessment of landslide-prone areas in Western Visayas starting with Barangay Igpajo in Tubungan, Iloilo on Thursday.
Civil Defense Western Visayas Regional Director Jose Roberto Nuñez in a phone interview said they decided to conduct the first visit in Barangay Igpaho because it has 155 families prone to landslide.
Barangay Igpaho is an upland barangay situated some five kilometers away from the town proper but can only be reached by taking a single motorcycle. He said the barangay experienced a mud landslide before.
Apart from Igpaho, 38 out of Tubungan’s 48 barangays are within the medium- to high-risk for landslide.
“We look into what we can do in the meantime. I have already talked to their village officials for a continuous IEC (information and education campaign). We need to inform everyone,” he said, citing that one of the problems is how to evacuate the residents in case of a landslide.
Initially, he suggested for a road widening to allow emergency vehicles to have access to the area in case of emergencies.
“One of the mitigating measures that should be considered is how to evacuate them in case of a landslide because they are situated at the center. There is no way to evacuate them, so we are doing some alternative,” he said.
Nuñez added that he will look into the proposal of the local government unit and find ways on where to look for fund, as he expressed concern over the situation of residents.
While relocating them is an option, he underscored that among the considerations will be their sources of livelihood. The residents are dependent on farming as their source of income.
The town’s official website identifies Barangay Igpaho as one of its destinations because of its “Binugsukan” Falls that is ideal for swimming during summer. The barangay also hosts more than 20 other water falls.
Nuñez added that they will be doing an assessment of other landslide-prone areas meantime that the weather is fine.
He said that probably they will also be doing an assessment of the sinkhole in Guimaras.
The conduct of the assessment was joined by representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Mines and Geosciences Bureau and the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Tubungan.
