Corazon Jayme and her family would not have survived the landslide in Barangay Talamban if they had not woken up in time to run out of the house before the soil began to enter their bedroom. | Contributed photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Councilor Jerry Guardo, the City Council’s chairperson for infrastructure, said the victims of minor landslide in Barangay Talamban should be relocated.
Guardo inspected the site on Wednesday morning, September 16, 2020, after the heavy downpour the night before caused the soil to erode and fall on three houses in Sitio Cadauhan.
The councilor said the area was really prone to landslide and other disasters because the water could freely flow down the hillside due to the lack of drainage at the upper portions of the hill.
There are houses sitting just above the hill behind the houses partially destroyed, but these houses remained intact despite the landslide.
Guardo said that without proper drainage, the water would naturally find a way to flow down, causing softening of the soil.
“Kung naa napuy kusog nga pag-ulan ulan, delikado nga mobigay gihapon ning yuta. Dapat gyod unta irelocate ni sila. (If another heavy downpour comes, the situation is critical and the soil could erode. We should relocate the residents). We will find for a relocation site,” said Guardo.
Read: Preemptive evacuation in province’s high risk areas possible
For the meantime, the councilor said the area should be cleared and a retaining wall must be built to reduce the pressure of the eroding soil.
The city government would also help provide materials for the families who want to rebuild their homes.
Corazon Jayme, one of the victims of the landslide, said that for the past four days, they have been worried that the soil would erode.
“Wala gyod miy tarong tulog kay simbako maglandslide, makabantay mi. Gabii, pagtagak sa bato, bangon dayon mi, dagan dayon mi. (We did not sleep well so that in case of a landslide, we would notice. Last night, when the rocks began to fall, we woke up and ran away),” said Jayme.
She considered it a blessing that they were able to notice the landslide before it happened because from where the soil entered their house, they would have been buried on their bed.
It was the first time that a landslide occurred in their area for the last 40 years their family lived there.
The landslide in Talamban is only one of many landslides that occurred in Cebu City on Tuesday evening. More damages were incurred in homes in Barangay Kalunasan and roads was blocked in Barangays Lahug and Busay.
Read: Barangays Kalunasan, Lahug monitoring mountainsides following landslides
Nobody was injured in any of the landslides. The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) were glad that people were vigilant enough to leave before disaster struck.
Guardo urged those living in hazard zone areas like mountain sides and riversides that may be prone to landslide and flashflood to evacuate early if they notice any possible movement in the ground before predicted heavy rains.
“Evacuate nalang gyod ta daan kung tan-aw ninyo delikado ang lugar. (Evacuate ahead of time if you think your area is no longer safe),” said Guardo. /bmjo