AUTHORITIES are stepping up monitoring efforts on the reported sinkholes at Barangay Tagucon in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental to prevent possible incidents that could endanger the lives of residents.
In May this year, residents discovered a sinkhole in a portion of a sugarcane field just beside the road of the said upland barangay.
Following the magnitude 3.4 earthquake in the neighboring Mabinay town in Negros Oriental Sunday noon, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) noted an increase of about one meter in both depth and width of the sinkhole.
Engineer Judson Cabalatungan, staff of the Kabankalan CDRRMO, said that based on their assessment, the sinkhole now has a depth of 13 feet and width of almost 15 feet.
He said the epicenter of the earthquake was only 18 kilometers away from Tagucon, thus its coordinates could really reach the barangay.
“We noticed that there is no water inside thus, there is a possibility that it subsides to a deeper portion of the sinkhole,” Cabalatungan said, adding that “this is something to watch for especially if there are movements on the ground.”
As initial measure, the sinkhole was already fenced. Residents were advised to stay away from it.
Residents themselves said there are still more than 20 other sinkholes in the area.
Cabalatungan said they are now coordinating with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau to check the veracity of the information.
The CDRRMO, for its part, will conduct a thorough survey and mapping operation, he said.
“Once validated, we will recommend to the city government to fill the holes, if needed to prevent possible occurrence of landslides,” Cabalatungan added.