Cebu City is pursuing a state of calamity declaration for the landslide-hit portion of Barangay Pulangbato as displaced families seek additional food assistance and authorities assess how to stabilize the affected slope.
Mayor Nestor Archival Sr. said the city government was working to convene the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CCDRRMC) to prepare a resolution supplementing the barangay’s declaration.
“Ang atong gipaningkamotan nga mahimo ang Disaster Council resolution para ma-approve, ma-certify lang nako nga urgent,” Archival said in an interview. (“We are working to secure the Disaster Council’s resolution so it can be approved, and I can certify that it is urgent.”)
The move follows the Oct. 9 landslide in Sitio Riverside that killed three people, including two children, and forced 137 residents to evacuate their homes.
Archival said barangay officials had asked the city government and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to determine how to remove or address the unstable soil above the affected area, which was believed to have contributed to the landslide.
“The moment nga matangtang nato ang ibabaw, which mao to’y manaug, ang posibilidad ana makabalik sila,” Archival said. (“Once we remove the soil above, which is what came down, there is a possibility that they can return.”)
However, Archival said the DENR estimated that the work could take about a month, prolonging the displacement of affected residents who have asked for extended assistance.
Barangay officials have also sought the closure of the road beside the two damaged houses because rumbling continues in the area, raising concerns about the safety of people passing through.
They are also asking the city to help identify an alternative route for residents who rely on the road. Archival said barangay officials had been asked to propose possible routes so the city could address the access problem.
Meanwhile, displaced families have requested additional food supplies after the initial three-day assistance provided through the city’s Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) ran out.
“Nahurut na man ang three days,” Archival said. (“The three days’ supply has already run out.”)
He said prolonged displacement posed difficulties for families, particularly children and working residents.
The DSWS had verified 35 affected families comprising 137 individuals and recommended additional food assistance and relief goods for all of them.
The department also recommended P20,000 in financial assistance for the relatives of each of the three fatalities and P20,000 each for the owners of the two totally damaged houses.
The landslide struck after several days of heavy rain. Councilor Dave Tumulak, head of the CCDRRMC, identified prolonged rainfall as the likely trigger, saying it may have weakened the soil.
The fatalities were a 60-year-old woman and two children aged five and six. A 38-year-old woman survived and was hospitalized.
Tumulak also said the Mines and Geosciences Bureau had identified the area’s soil as prone to landslides. He previously called for a relocation site for residents living in the danger zone.
The city is pursuing the proposed calamity declaration alongside slope intervention, road safety measures and additional relief assistance as authorities assess the site’s stability and determine when displaced families can safely return home.
Photo by Jacq Hernandez
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