SIERRA-BULLONES. - The occurrence of land cracks in Ferbruary this year in barangay Magsaysay and neighboring barangays of this hinterland town is getting worse and is wrecking havoc to infrastructure and residential houses, this according to the Bohol Environment Management Office (BEMO). Leonilo Lafuente, BEMO officer-in-charge, while making a site inspection here last week, said that fractures of some of the houses’ concrete walls and concrete pavements of the national highway have already widened into several inches and tilted towards the ground level since they were monitored earlier by experts. Some owners have already deserted their houses cut across by the cracks and settled elsewhere. Others, who earlier refused to abandon their homes have decided to avail of the resettlement, he said.

He said that he informed the Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau (MGB) of this latest development and a group of geologists from the bureau has conducted last week an ocular inspection as part of its monitoring on the land cracks. Lafuente added that a report has been forwarded to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) for consideration. Earlier, MGB said evacuation of residents in several barangays adversely affected is considered urgent. In its five-page incident report on land cracks, MGB said: “It is necessary that residents of sitio. 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.”

Gov. Edgar Chatto and Mayor Alfredo Gamalo had recommended for the immediate evacuation of the residents affected for their safety. The barangays hit and considered vulnerable to the land fissures are Magsaysay, Dusita, Danicop, Matin-ao and Abachanan. At least 23 houses are already affected by what it called “several tension cracks” in barangay 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. MGB, which conducted the inspection and study of the cracks, earlier 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.

The report explained 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 Magsaysay “has high rating for rain-induced landslides,” based on the geohazard survey conducted in 2007. 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 ahead.