Thursday, July 12, 2007 Diwalwal folks told to evacuate risk area By Ben O. Tesiorna
SEVERAL residents of Diwalwal in Monkayo, Compostela Valley were ordered to evacuate identified "high-risk areas" of the gold-rush mountain after the landslide last Monday evening killed at least five people.
Mt. Diwata barangay captain Franco Tito said he also ordered a ban on sluice mining (banlas) in the area, saying this kind of activity could be one of the factors that triggered the latest landslide in Diwalwal.
Barangay officials met with Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau-Southern Mindanao officials Wednesday morning to map out plans on the evacuation of residents in high-risk areas.
Tito said the people were informed what to do to prevent the same incident from happening again.
"Nag-advise kami sa mga residente na mag-ingat at imonitor ang paligid lalo na ngayong extreme ang weather condition natin from July to September (We advised residents to be extra careful and monitor their surroundings especially now that our weather condition are extreme from July to September)," Tito said.
All of the five bodies trapped inside the pile of mud were already unearthed by the rescuers as of Tuesday evening.
The victims were identified as Ralph Soldia; couple Rosemarie Mamaril and Roderick Cabaluna; Marlito Bordios, and Tata Rosales.
The 16-year-old Mamaril was said to be pregnant.
The landslide hit their house at Purok 2 at around 7:30 p.m. on Monday.
The mines bureau has earlier identified Diwalwal as a high-risk area for landslides.
In November 2005, 816 families living in high-risk areas in Diwalwal were scheduled to be relocated then. It was not known though if these families were indeed transferred to safer areas as planned.
The government earlier admitted that lack of funding is keeping them from relocating these families.
The relocation plan was due to the caving in of the Sunshine Tunnel in Diwalwal almost two years ago where 11 people were confirmed dead and 13 still trapped inside.
It was learned that the relocation took longer than expected since they have not yet signed a memorandum of agreement with the indigenous peoples living in the area.
