Forced evac in Cebu City easier said than done

ENFORCING forced evacuation of residents of landslide- and flood-prone areas in mountain barangays is made more difficult with the absence of suitable relocation sites.

“I’m not sure if we are prepared. It’s difficult to move because we need the cooperation of the community,” Councilor Flor Ingles of barangay Malubog, Cebu City, told Cebu Daily News.

Ingles was one of 11 participants from the city’s hinterland barangays that joined  a three-day seminar on disaster preparedness.

About 20 city barangays are prone to  landslides based on geo-hazard mapping.

More than 20 barangay officials were taught to read geo-hazard maps and determine the level of danger based on  cracks and ground movement caused by earthquakes.

The activity was led  by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas (DENR-7) and  the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pag-asa).

“It’s important that they know the mitigating measures and there’s resiliency in the community,” Cebu City Councilor Nida Cabrero said.

She said the seminar was prompted by the series of landslides in Cebu City following  the 6.9-magnitude quake last Feb. 6 and  continuous  rains in the past few days.

The landslide-prone barangays are Lusaran, Binaliw, Guba, Budlaan, Malubog, Buot-Taup, Busay, Sirao, Pulangbato,Taptap, Tagbao and  Tabunan.

Also identified as danger zones were barangays Pung-ol Sibugay, Sudlon II, Sudlon I, Sinsin, Buhisan, Pamutan, Sapangdaku, and Adlaon.

DENR-7 senior geologist Josephine Aleta said mountain barangays in Cebu City are prone to landslides since the soil type of limestone and sandstone can be easily washed away by floodwaters.

Aleta said it’s important for  barangays to known how to respond to disasters so they won’t be dependent on the city government. . Reporter Candeze R. Mongaya