FORTY days after the deadly landslide struck the City of Naga, residents and local officials admitted that changes in mindsets and policies, particularly in disaster prevention, are now needed to prevent further loss of lives.
City officials led by Mayor Kristine Vanessa Chiong admitted that one lesson they learned was the need for new policies that will require businesses and industries in the city to consider existing geological hazards before any site development.
Following last Sept. 20’s landslide that claimed 78 lives, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) recommended to the City Government and even quarrying firms doing business there to not only respond to geological hazards quickly but also to address their effects on surrounding communities.
TIMELINE: What happened before and after the Naga landslide
In an interview, Chiong said she is in close coordination with the DENR in implementing the MGB’s recent assessment on the landslide and in finding ways to come up with a clear policy.
“The (MGB) report will guide us on the policies that we need to do to avoid such incidents from happening. The local government unit (LGU) has to study and has to be familiar with the report,” she said.
MGB supervising geologist Liza Manzano recommended that areas surrounding the landslide site must be declared as danger zones and no habitation zones.
But the DENR is also set to identify restricted zones where temporary settlement is allowed until a more detailed landslide and subsidence hazard assessment is conducted, she said.
She also recommended that the Apo Land and Quarry Corp. (ALQC), which operates a quarry in Barangay Tina-an where the landslide occurred, temporarily stop its operations until such time that it can provide appropriate mitigating measures to avoid further damage in the site.
For Jehan Repollo, acting City of Naga Environment and Natural Resources Office head, one lesson she learned after the landslide was the need for strict monitoring of quarry operations, whether large or small, as these activities could create a lasting impact on the environment.
INTERACTIVE: Cebu landslide hazard map
There are four large-scale and nine small-scale quarrying operators doing business in the City of Naga. All of their operations are still suspended following the executive order Chiong issued after the landslide, Repollo said.
For Engr. Arthur Villamor, city administrator, another lesson that the City learned is the need for close coordination with those living in areas with an existing quarrying or mining operation.
Villamor said he plans to suggest to Mayor Chiong to require quarrying operators to determine if their operations will directly affect residents before the City issues a mayor’s clearance.
He also said they’ve also learned the importance of the barangay in implementing disaster preparedness programs for its constituents.
“Kailangan active gyud ang ilang (Their) Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (should be active and it should take seriously all the geohazard threats in its jurisdiction) ug ila gyung seryoso ang mga geohazard threats sa ilang kada lugar,” Villamor said.
But Villamor emphasized the need for strong collaboration with the LGU and the MGB and the DENR in terms of identifying geohazards.
For those directly affected by the landslide, lessons they learned came at a high price.
Paz Capoy, 50, who lost three of her children to the landslide, said she will not return to Sitio Sindulan even if she is allowed to rebuild there.
“Dili na gyud maayo magpaduol sa buntod. Dili unta mahitabo nga maing-ana ang bukid kung dili lang gyud hilabtan (It’s dangerous to live too close to a mountain. But the landslide wouldn’t have happened if the mountain had been left alone),” Capoy said.
Meanwhile, evacuated residents are still wondering when and if they can still return to their homes.
Around 1,600 families, or 6,487 individuals, are staying in 11 evacuation sites, based on the updated list provided by the City of Naga Social Welfare and Development Office.
Last week, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu promised evacuees that the agency would come up with a list of areas where habitation is no longer possible and of how many families will be allowed to go home.
The list was supposed to be released last Friday, Oct. 26.
Chiong hopes the DENR will release its answer soon as the City’s resources to help manage the evacuation sites are also at its limit.
Aside from the assessment, Chiong is also concerned about the situation of evacuees, as cash and other aid continue to pour in.
The mayor said ALQC will stop providing daily meals to evacuees at the end of the month.
Chito Maniago, ALQC corporate communications manager, confirmed the matter to SunStar Cebu.
Maniago said ALQC has spent P25 million for the preparation of food packs for evacuees and rescuers at ground zero since the landslide struck last Sept. 20.
Chiong said they will be forced to use the P14.2 million in cash donations to provide food to the evacuees.
She said the City will also provide housing assistance to evacuees, especially those who might not be able to return to their homes, after the Provincial Government formalized the donation of a two-hectare portion of the Balili property in Barangay Tina-an.
While the National Housing Authority has committed to construct 320 houses for the survivors, the City also set aside P25 million for the construction of 80 houses, Chiong said.
Tomorrow, survivors and families of those who died in the landslide will hold a mass at ground zero to honor the dead.