THE site of Taft Property Venture Development Corp. for building the tallest condominium in Cebu City “is ideally considered suitable for a building project” said a report of a private geologist.
But due to the alluvium and “Carcar Limestone” in the ground, mitigating steps have to be taken to address the risk of “ground failure/cave-in due to karstic hazards, soil/rock horizon collapse in excavated area, local flooding, ground shaking and retaining wall/fence failure.”
The 35-page report dated September 2011 was prepared by geologist Julius Z. Miel who was retained by the private firm.
Taft Property legal counsel Vincent Tomaneng showed a copy of the Engineering Geological and Geohazard Assessment Report (EGGAR), which is required by the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) before the project can start.
He sought to debunk reports that the company did not prepare one.
Permits and documents for the twin condominium project have been under scrutiny since Tuesday’s collapse of part of a retaining wall in the excavated site.
The report said the site for building a 50-story condominium was suitable but could be “affected by natural and man-made hazards if not properly mitigated.”
When CDN asked Tomaneng what mitigating measures have been done, he said the technical and engineering team would have to respond to that.
The geohazard assessment by Taft Property was required by the DENR after the agency’s Geological Sites Scoping found that the soil has “caverns which could cause foundation problems of buildings or structures built over them” and “alluvial deposit.”
DENR-MGB Senior Geologist Maria Elena S. Lupo prepared the Geological Sites Scoping report June 2011.
Alluvial deposits as “transported materials deposited in a place like sand, beach deposits” .
These are materials that are still soft and have not yet turned into stone, said MGB Geosciences Division acting chief Al Emil Berador in an interview.
He emphasized the importance of studying the soil as well to check if it is solid.
DENR issued an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) last Jan. 27, 2011 for Taft Property’s Horizons 101 Tower 1 Project.
Section nine of the ECC requires submission of EGGAR before proceeding with project implementation.