THE Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) renewed its call to all residents living in identified landslide-prone areas to "voluntarily evacuate."
The CDRRMO, in collaboration with the City Engineer's Office (CEO) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-EMB), recently identified highly susceptible landslide areas following the recent earthquakes.
These areas include Juario Village in Barangay Ma-a, Old Smokey Mountain in Barangay Matina Pangi, Purok Damayan in Barangay Buhangin, and Phase 5 DDF Village in Barangay Mandug.
CDRRMO head Alfredo Baloran said they are continuously monitoring these areas, as mandated by Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
Baloran said that as of November 12, there are no new identified landslide-prone areas, but they are continuously surveying other parts of the city to ensure that people living in these areas would be aware of the possible risk.
"We have already made a recommendation that these areas to be a 'no habitation' area," he said.
The CDRRMO official said they already instructed 25 affected residents living nearby the slope areas in Juario to immediately evacuate due to the cracks found on its boulder.
In Mandug, he said they had long advised residents living at DDF Village to evacuate since the area is already deemed a "flood-prone" area.
"Dapat gyud to sila ma-advisan na magbalhin sila sa safer place kay delikado didto. Highly susceptible siya for flooding hilabi na inig mag-overflow ang tubig sa Davao River (They should be advised to evacuate and find a safer place because it is very risky for them to stay there. The area is highly susceptible to flooding every time that the Davao River overflows)," Baloran said.
But he said they have no authorization to declare the area as a "no habitation" zone, as it needs an executive or legislative order.
But he said CDRRMO will have to forcibly evacuate them when disaster strikes, especially when the water level in these areas rises.