New fault line found in Bohol

CEBU CITY, Philippines—The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has advised around 100 residents of Maribojoc, Bohol, to leave their houses which are located near the coast after a fault line appeared following the magnitude-7.2 earthquake that rocked Cebu and Bohol on Oct. 15 last year.

Maribojoc Mayor Leoncio Evasco, who was here to attend a forum, said he received a letter from the MGB Central Visayas office advising him to inform the residents to leave the area for their safety.

The earthquake caused a reverse fault in Bohol, with an increase in elevation of about three meters in Barangay (village) Anonang, Inabanga, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.

The fault line is located in the towns of Inabanga, Loon and Maribojoc, three municipalities that were badly hit by the earthquake that killed at least 200 people.

Phivolcs said the earthquake had caused a general uplift of three-fourths of Bohol island and pushed the southwestern part of the province toward Cebu by 55 centimeters.

The coastline in Maribojoc has risen and appears to have reclaimed 55 centimeters of land.

Evasco said the town had allowed the residents of the area to remain there while they looked for a relocation site for them.

The livelihood of the residents living there, who depend on fishing, has also been affected, he added.

Evasco said they have temporarily provided alternative livelihood to the residents, such as hog raising and organic farming.—Carmel Loise Matus