THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Davao said that buildings along perilous location in Shrine Hills Area will have to be demolished.
"Yes (it will be demolished) for as long as they are in a perilous location dapat lang," said DPWH-Davao information officer Dean Ortiz in an interview Monday, October 9.
From aerial photos of the landslide area, a portion of the Hope Radio complex in Shrine Hills is now teetering on the brink of the landslide. Unfortunately, this portion is where a structure is built. The center of the complex, which is a bit farther from peril, is nothing but pavement. At the other end is the transmitter tower and another structure.
Ortiz said that as of Monday, they have given financial assistance to the 39 affected households based on the type of house they have.
"Actually, what we do here is that we ask them for requirements before we give financial assistance to them based on the materials their house are made of," he said.
Ortiz added that they have distributed the financial assistance even before the landslide, which occurred last October 6.
"For as long as they cooperate with us, others only left when they felt that there is clear and present danger in the area," he said.
Ortiz said that residents have fled to an evacuation area through the City Government's assistance.
He added that to fast-track the road clearing operations following the landslide, they are now using six backhoes and some dump trucks.
As to the lifting of the road closure, around 5 p.m. Monday, Ortiz said that he is set to meet with the Davao City Transportation and Traffic Management Office to come up with an assessment and recommendations on what they will do with the traffic.