A landslide in Sitio Garaje, Barangay Busay in Cebu City, damaged several houses and left more than 30 individuals homeless on Saturday, October 29, 2022. | photo from Councilor Joel Garganera
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City’s ‘Task Force Likay sa Landslide’ has lifted the suspension of quarry activities in the city’s upland barangays.
Arlie Gesta, head of the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO), in a report from the Cebu City Public Information Office (PIO) on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023, confirmed the lifting of the suspension order.
The task force has also granted quarry permits to five quarry operators.
Gesta said five of the nine quarry operators have already submitted the requirements for the resumption of their operations.
“Ato lang ni sila i-inform nga with the approval ganiha (sa Task Force)…ato ni sila i-inform dayon nga maka-resume na sa ilahang gi-suspend nga operation. Para at least makapadayon pud sila og hatag sa katong mga empleyado nila nga nawad-an og panginabuhi kay tungod nahunong ang ilang operation,” he said.
A month after quarry activities were suspended, Gesta said, the CCENRO conducted a joint inspection with the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Central Visayas (MGB-7) in barangays Binaliw, Pulangbato, Budlaan, Toong, and Pamutan.
“Wa tay nakita. Kung mopadayon sila sa (quarry) activities, wa tay nakita nga resulta sa pag-landslide nga mahitabo. Ang MGB sila man ang authority when it comes…to soil movement, geology. Ilaha man gyud na, so nangayo ta sa ilang expertise,” he said.
To recall, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama signed Executive Order no. 13 last Nov. 3 ordering the temporary suspension of all earth-moving activities in the city to give time to the city government to set up mechanisms for the prevention, mitigation, rehabilitation, and response systems in landslide-prone areas in Cebu City.
READ: Mayor suspends all quarry, earth-moving activities in Cebu City
The lifting of the suspension order depends on the result of the evaluation of the geological condition of these 30 upland barangays and upon the recommendation of the task force.
The mayor’s EO came days after a massive landslide struck Sitio Garaje in Barangay Busay and Barangays Sirao, Bonbon, and Malubog resulting in damage to properties.
“Nag-issue si Mayor (Rama) og executive order (tungod ato) nga tanang mga quarry and earth-moving activities nga nag-involve og paghakot og yuta, so mao man ni ilang nature sa quarry, so napagan gyud ni sila, naapil,” Gesta said.
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