THE Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) advised the Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) to wait for the completion of Department of Works and Highways' (DPWH) rehabilitation activities in the affected area of Shrine Hills before allowing evacuees to return to their homes.
MGB-Davao Geology Division chief Beverly Brebante said on Friday that CDRRMO asked MGB for an approval if it is already safe for the evacuees to return to their homes.
Almost 40 families were evacuated last week due to imminent danger of landslide at Shrine Hills last October 5.
"DPWH is conducting several rehabilitation construction along the affected area such as putting up of Gabions or wire work container filled with rocks, concrete, and other materials to help support the slopes, as well as the spraying of shot crete or concrete to harden the wall blocks," Brebante said.
Such activities have to be finished first before allowing the evacuees to return to assure that their homes will be protected from any possible erosion that might happen in the future.
She said the area where the landslide occurred is still considered habitable if the land will be developed with mitigating measures to stabilize it soil component and reduced its vulnerability from landslide.
The major soil component present in the hills is silt - granular sediments common in bodies of water and susceptible to soil disruption.
With the possibility that the ongoing rehabilitation activities of DPWH-Davao may result to another occurrence of landslide, Brebante said MGB-Davao does not recommend the Department to discontinue its construction as such may result to damaging effect.
"Since DPWH already started its activities, the soil is not any more stable so they really have to finish what they have started," she said.
MGB is in constant dialogue with DPWH regarding its rehabilitation activities to assure that it will not worsen the situation at Shrine Hills.