S-BULLONES - Regular monitoring of the land cracks and immediate evacuation of residents in several barangays in this interior municipality are urgent, said the Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources regional office. In its five-page incident report on landslide and land cracks e-mailed to this writer, MGB said: “It is necessary that residents of So. Danao, Magsaysay be relocated for their long-term safety. Regular monitoring of the area should also be continued. This would help determine if the landslide/land cracking event is still active and whether the affected area is getting bigger or not.” Earlier, Mayor Alfredo Gamalo said in a cell phone interview that his administration was doing everything for their safety but some, if not most residents affected by the land movement are stubborn.

At least four hinterland barangays --- Magsaysay, Dusita, Danicop and Abachaman and still counting ---- are initially considered as vulnerable to cracks occurring recently. At least 23 houses are already affected by what it called “several tension cracks” at sitio Danao, Magsaysay, which is about 500 meter elevation above sea level. The Day Car Center of nearby barangay Dusita, with an elevation of 400 meters, has been abandoned due to “intense development of cracks on its floor and walls,” said the MGB. “The Daycare Center has already been abandoned due to intense development of the cracks on its floors and walls,” in barangay Dusita said the report. MGB, which conducted the inspection and study of the cracks, warned that  the continuous land movement “would eventually lead to the collapse of the houses endangering the occupants.” Farmlands nearby would not be spared from the cracks, it said.

In a separate interview, Officer-in-charge chief geologist Emil G. Berador said that there is this a house made of concrete but its cemented wall already bore cracks across. But the owner vent to finished his home, he said. Quoting observation of some town officials here, MGB said that the subsidence began to develop during the first week of February this year after days of heavy downpour. The report explains that rainwater as a result of heavy downpour “directly percolate into the ground behind the retaining structure and could increase pore water pressure. The cracks indicate that the ground has moved. This indicates that the ground movement is still active and will continue to move especially during periods of heavy rainfall.” It also bared that the affected areas in this barangay (Magsaysay) “has high rating for rain-induced landslides,” based on the geohazard survey conducted in 2007.

The report indicated that about 10 houses near the bridge linking barangays Abachanan and Dusita could be vulnerable to the “land displacement” which is “likely to continue” when or during downpour. Among the recommendations of the MGB include identification of evacuation or relocation safer sites and formulation of a long-term solution of the identified hazardous areas. The agency advised the residents to act now while it's not too late yet for their long term safety considering PAGASA's prediction that it would be rainy days this coming summer that “would be above the normal average.” MGB also recommended for the checking of drainage systems, such as creeks, rivers, in the affected areas because the cracks are triggered by presence of excess water.  It will be recalled that similar occurrence of land cracks cut across about two kilometers of farmlands in mountain barangay Bugsoc in recent years. (RVO)