Mayor Sara Duterte has ordered the reassessment of four areas in the city identified as highly susceptible to landslides.
Officials are focusing on Juario Village in Barangay Ma-a, Purok Damayan in Barangay Buhangin Proper, Phase 5 DDF Village in Barangay Mandug and the Old Smokey Mountain in Barangay Matina Pangi. Barangays Ma-a and Matina Pangi are in Talomo District in the first district, while Buhangin Proper and Mandug are in Buhangin District in the second district.
“We have a lot of landslide-prone areas in the city, but those (four) areas are the places highly susceptible to landslides,” said Lyndon Ancajas, administrative training chief of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMO).
He said that at least 30 will be affected in each area.
Ancajas said residents must evacuate immediately and not wait for any quake to occur.
“We really recommend to relocate them. When I personally went to those areas, I saw for myself the need for the residents to be relocated for they are hazard-prone already,” he said.
According to CDRRMO chief Alfredo Baloran, the city is only “avoiding casualties.”
The city is currently monitoring these four areas, checking on the boulders and possible ground collapse.
Some families hesitate to vacate despite the order issued by Mayor Sara Duterte.
“Residents here are still resistant,” said purok leader Mario Juario in Juario Village. “They cannot leave their houses, especially their livelihood.”
He said cracks in some portions of the slope and boulders are already detected due to the recent earthquakes.
Juario said areas adjacent to the slope will be affected if landslides occur.
The purok leader said he has been urging the residents to follow the city’s advisory to evacuate.
“They will only be forced to evacuate if a stronger quake will occur or if they see the ground collapse,” he said.
The City Housing Office will be determining the areas where relocation and evacuation sites will be placed.
