Families evacuated from upland Davao Norte village due to landslide threat

Landslide (AP file photo/ Bullit Marquez)

TAGUM CITY, Davao del Norte – Disaster officials in Davao del Norte ordered on Monday the forced evacuation of several families in an upland village in Talaingod town due to threats of landslide.

At least six families from Sitio (Sub-village) Lower Mesolong, in Barangay (Village) Sto. Niño were told to leave their homes after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) in Manila issued a warning of a possible landslide.

“Phivolcs landslide monitoring center in Manila has hoisted alert level 3 for Lower Mesolong due to significant ground movement caused by recent rains,” according to Glenda Delideli, Davao del Norte provincial disaster council chief.

Delideli said pre-emptive evacuation would be advised for some 100 families in Upper Mesolong.

Affected families would be brought to safer areas in Talaingod until the passing of the threat, she said.

Davao del Norte and other parts of Southern Mindanao have been experiencing moderate to heavy rains, particularly during the afternoon, for several days now, due to localized thunderstorms, the weather bureau said.  SFM

Talaingod, Davao del Norte (Wikipedia)