Residents asked to leave accident site

THREE families living near the site of an illegal limestone (anapog) quarry that caved in and claimed the lives of two young boys would be asked to relocate.

They would also be prohibited from further extracting limestone from the quarry in Sitio Immaculada in Barangay Lahug, said Councilor Dave Tumulak, head of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CCDRRMC).

“We will be meeting with the barangay officials of Lahug. That area really has to be vacated. There is not just one hollow area there, but there are around six or seven. So it’s really risky,” Tumulak told reporters yesterday.

Arlie Gesta of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) said the accident site, which has been cordoned off, might still cave in unless it is strengthened with riprap.

He advised the residents to be vigilant in reporting any excavation in the area. “The excavation was not reported. It doesn’t have a permit. The excavation was illegal,” said Gesta.

He said the residents may have dug too deep.

“The hill ended up looking like a cliff due to the excavation of limestone. As the digging continued, the lower portion could no longer support the upper part. The rain might have made it heavier due to added moisture of the soil that made it collapse,” Gesta explained.

Based on their site inspection yesterday morning, Gesta said a cave-like formation has been created in the area with the inner portion measuring four to five meters from the entrance and around five meters in height.

“Kung imo siya tan-awon, magkagamay ang iyahang entrance pasud up to two meters (It gets narrower as you go in),” said Gesta. With him were representatives of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).

Part of the area collapsed on Tuesday,  burying 11-year-old Ian Valor Lumapas and his three-year-old brother Jacob.  Their mother Mitos Basak sustained minor injuries and was brought to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) for treatment. She was discharged Tuesday night.

Mitos and common-law husband Ian Lumapas have five other children, who are all temporarily staying with their grandmother in Barangay Luz.

“Naa nako karon ang mga bata kay amo man nasabutan nga diri na lang ihaya akong mga apo. Delikado man pud karon nga mubalik sa ilang balay (My grandchildren are with me. We have also decided to hold the wake for the two boys here. It would be dangerous for them to return to their house),” said Nita Basak, mother of Mitos.

Meanwhile, Tumulak said he would ask the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) to provide an alternative livelihood to affected families. Residents of Sitio Immaculada earn P35 per sack of limestone.

“We are also calling the mountain barangays. During the dry spell, we don’t just encounter problems on water supply. There is also the risk on health and also on landslides since many areas in the mountains have cracked,” he said.