FOR the safety of the public, a structural engineer of the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) recommended the implementation of soil stabilization measures in Sitio Garaje, Barangay Busay, Cebu City.
If another heavy rain will hit the city, Engineer Nilo Igot feared that the soil will continue to erode and might block the road going to the other mountain villages and Busay’s tourist destinations such as Mountain View Resort and Temple of Leah.
Personnel from the DEPW, the Office of the Building Official, the Department of Public Works and Highways and Councilor Jerry Guardo, chairperson of the City Council’s committee on infrastructure, inspected the site yesterday.
In an interview, Igot said a permanent retaining wall should be built beside the road in Sitio Garaje to stop soil movement.
For the house uphill, which is owned by the Castillo family, Igot said soil boring should be conducted. It will test the soil if it can still support the structure and determine its permeability, among others.
He said soil nailing is needed, a construction technique used to remedy unstable natural slopes.
During the inspection, a portion of the house was already hanging by the cliff. Visible cracks were also seen in the house’s surface. The Castillos are the owners of the Mountain View Resort.
“For the meantime that these are not yet in place, we will put up blue sacks to cover the loose soil so rainwater cannot further penetrate the area,” Igot said.
Michael Aleman, manager of the resort, said their family have been staying in the house for 17 years.
When the landslide occurred last week, he said they immediately evacuated.
Aleman said their family hired surveyors and assessors to assess the situation in the area and is waiting for their recommendation.
As to the resort operations, Aleman admitted that their clients have lessened over the past few days. The resort accommodates an average of 100 clients daily.
Guardo, in a separate interview yesterday, said there is an urgent need to immediately address the situation in Sitio Garaje, considering the many motorists passing on the highway.
“The area is really high-risk and very critical,” he said.