BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (CDRRMC) has reminded the public of the basic safety precautions that each household must take to ensure their safety, especially with the increasing risk of landslides in this mountainous region due to frequent rains.
“Conduct hazard hunting in the house premises – wirings, roofs, house integrity,” said Engr. Jose Ignacio Valera, officer-in-charge of the Office of Civil Defense and chair of the CDRRMC in a compendium policy.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau has issued a list of hazard-prone and critical areas in the different municipalities and provinces in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), which can be used as a guide in coming up with the appropriate decision for pre-emptive or forced evacuation.
Meanwhile, Engr. Cyril Batcagan, municipal DRRM officer of Itogon, Benguet, said in a media interview on Tuesday that they continue to issue advisories to the residents on the prevailing rule that no underground mining activity must be done during weather disturbances and when there is a continuous downpour.
He said that while mining is a lucrative venture, the standing rule remains against entering mining areas during the rainy season.
“Even light rains when they are regular can drench the soil and cause a landslide if there is a heavy downpour,” Batcagan said in Ilocano.
He also advised residents to always check on the surroundings of their houses to ensure that there is no unusual happening that can lead to a disaster.
“We also remind our residents to check their houses, their surroundings because while they are not located in critical areas if there is soil disturbance due to land development or house expansions, there might be some danger that is developing,” he added in the vernacular.
On Sunday, three persons were killed in a landslide at Camp 5, Acupan, Barangay Virac in Itogon town.
Batcagan said the shanty of some small-scale miners, while built along the road, was on a 90-degree slope. The facility was hit by the landslide from the collapse of the mountain in front of it.
“It was unfortunate that there were three people who died in that incident. That is the importance of always prioritizing safety over anything else.
The official said the town is largely in a critical area and there have been specific houses and structures already identified as standing on hazard-prone areas.
He said residents must be cautious and ready to evacuate when needed.
“All our barangays have evacuation areas located beside their barangay hall. We also have our main evacuation areas and we have schools where we can run to if we need to evacuate immediately for personal and our family’s safety, let us not risk it,” Batcagan said. **Liza Agoot
