Residents of landslide-hit Albay village to be relocated

By Cet Dematera

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines – At least 163 families or 800 people residing in a remote, landslide-stricken village in Albay yesterday started to leave their homes as a team of geologists declared their community highly susceptible to soil and rock erosions.

After a study, Arlene Dayao, officer-in-charge of the Geosciences Division of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Bicol, recommended to the provincial government the immediate relocation of the residents within the “high-risk” portion of Calaguimit village in Camalig town.

Dayao said the geologic conditions of the place make it highly vulnerable to landslides or rock slumps due to the presence of joints and weak siltstone-shale bedrock.

“The rock slump site should be declared a high-risk zone. The area upslope of the rock slump where indications of slope instability in the form of creeping and ground cracks are present should also be declared a high-risk zone,” Dayao said in her report to the provincial authorities.

“Apart from the four houses that had been damaged by the rock slump, there are 14 other households located within the immediate vicinity of the landslide area that are at risk. The four households located on the high-risk zone and directly affected by the slump are recommended for permanent relocation to safer places the soonest possible time,” Dayao said.

Dayao said the affected villagers should not be allowed to return to their damaged houses.

Gov. Joey Salceda said he has already ordered the evacuation of 30 families whose houses are directly at risk, adding that the remaining families would also be evacuated as soon as a safe relocation site for them is identified.

“Meantime, the directly affected families are now being housed at the six big tents donated to Albay by the UNICEF. We would also evacuate the others while preparing for their total relocation,” Salceda told The STAR. – With Celso Amo