BONTOC, MTN. PROV.– A huge slide with big rocks hit Balitian section at Barangay Bontoc Ili, Bontoc along the Bontoc-Baguio Road in the wee hours of August 14, 2018 due to nonstop heavy to moderate rains.
Another big landslide happened at Sadsadan section, Sadsadan, Bauko, Mountain Province along the same national road on the same day making it difficult for travelers bound for Baguio City and Bontoc to transfer thrice due to another landslide at Calasipan, Atok, Benguet.
The slope collapse at Balitian section affected the power supply of Barangays Alab Proper, Alab Oriente, Balili, Gonogon and Bontoc Ili (Sitio Napo to Sitio Komesey) due to two fallen electric posts of the Mountain Province Electric Cooperative, Inc. hit by boulders.
As per information from MOPRECO, power went off at 2:26 am of August 14. At 5:28 am, power was restored for AlBaGo and Sitio Napo and at 7:15 am, power was restored at Sitio Balitian to Sitio Komesey.
Clearing operation was immediately conducted as early as 5 am by the personnel of the Mountain Province First District Engineering Office of the Department of Public Works and Highways starting with one DPWH pay loader. At past 9 am, another DPWH pay loader arrived at the opposite side.
Stranded commuters were allowed to cross the eroded slope on intervals assisted by personnel of the DPWH, Bontoc Police Municipal Police Station, Highway Patrol Group and traffic enforcers. DPWH workers carried children and heavy bags. At one point, this writer accompanied a young mother with her baby crossing the slide. Foreigners as well as local tourists bound for Buscalan, Tinglayan, Kalinga also had the experience for crossing the slide. A commuter bound for Baguio City whose motto in life is ‘Better safe than sorry.’ did not attempt to cross saying ‘Orayek na lang nga ma-open.’
The conduct of the clearing operation was closely supervised by District Engineer Alexander Castañeda together with Maintenance Chief Engineer Domingo Pumecha.
Crossing the eroded slope was so risky for the commuters and at about 10:30 am, a child was nearly hit by a falling rock. Thanks to the alertness of DPWH worker Albert Abel from Sta. Isabel, Natonin who warned the child.
At 10:40 am, a stranded backhoe joined the clearing operation and crossing of commuters was stopped for the equipment to create a safer pathway for them. During this time, stranded commuters doubled in number on both sides and many of them were already impatient.
A commuter interviewed said that, why is the backhoe working on the slope side and not on the other lane (cliff side) so that a temporary way can be created faster. Another commuter from Bontoc whose brother is scheduled for dialysis at Luis Hora Regional Memorial Hospital in Bauko, Mountain Province had the same observation. Another said ‘Dapat people first bago dayta daga.’
Together with a commuter from Bontoc, this writer approached and talked with the district engineer about their observations. He said that he is ensuring the safety of everybody so he instructed the backhoe operator to work on a safer pathway since creating a way along the opposite lane on the cliff side is so risky. ‘Delikado ah dita nga banda’, Castañeda said.
At 11:20 am before allowing the commuters to cross, Crispin Changrapen from the DPWH climbed without fear the eroded slope and successfully removed ‘about to fall rocks’. It was a nerve-wracking moment for all watching him under a hanging big rock risking life and limb for the safety of the commuters. Engineer Pumecha showed his photo and labelled him as the Spiderman of MPFDEO.
At 11:35 am, commuters bound for Baguio were allowed first to cross then followed by those bound for Bontoc and Sagada. The traffic enforcers really made an impact with their communication on the other side courtesy of their hand held radios.
On the Bontoc side, personnel of the Bontoc MPS together with the traffic enforcers made sure that the commuters queued for an orderly boarding of vans and tricycles.
Looking at the long line of people, this writer requested PO3 Mosa Tanjili if he could transport some of the commuters with the use of the police patrol car to which he responded positively.
After coming back to the site, he happily said ‘Blessing pala iyung request mo na maghatid ako kasi iyung bata na sumakay sa harap ay nilalagnat kaya dineretso ko na siya sa ospital.’
At 12 pm, workers drilled two holes on a big rock, the size of a van located at the center of the affected road for dynamite blasting and at 12:30 pm, the ‘spiderman’ prepared two dynamite sticks with the district engineer, Bontoc cops, HPG and traffic enforcers as his audience.
D.E. Castañeda then ordered all to move out from the area and the big rock was successfully blasted with two explosions. Lunch time followed at 12:55 pm. When asked of the expected time of the road opening, ‘Ma open dayta ti 5 pm ta iso met lang inbagak DZWT.’, the D.E. replied.
The Balitian section was punched through at 4:55 pm while the Sadsadan section was punched through at 4:00 pm without any untoward incidents. Miantenaance Capataz Roldan Colas monitored the clearing operation at Sadsadan section. Total clearing operations continued on both sections the day after.
MOPRECO personnel replaced the two damaged electric posts on August 15, 2018. It can be recalled that an earlier landslide happened at the same spot of the Balitian section last August 12 with a fully-grown Pine tree blocking the road.
As of press time (Aug. 24), the capital town and nearby towns had been experiencing intermittent heavy to moderate rains since Aug. 20. DPWH workers were constantly removing fallen rocks at Balitian section to ensure the safety of motorists. An observer said of the camaneros, ‘dapat dagitoy ti madoble ti suweldo da ta salda biag trabaho da’.
Meanwhile, the Cattubo section in Atok, Benguet of the Halsema Highway was in an open-close conditions due to landslides particularly at Km. 54 and Km. 58 on August 24, 2018 caused by nonstop heavy rains. **Ferdie Cariño Castañeda
