Soil erosion still poses risks in Barangay Busay, warns Guardo

A backhoe clears out an area hit by a landslide in Sitio Garaje in Barangay Busay, Cebu City. (CDN FILE PHOTO)

A Cebu City councilor has asked all concerned agencies to conduct soil stability testing in the mountain barangays of Cebu City, amid continuing reports of soil erosion and landslides, especially in the upper section of Barangay Busay where two major tourist attractions are located.

Councilor Jerry Guardo, who chairs the city council’s committee on infrastructure and urban planning, the concerned local and national government agencies should remain vigilant in order to avoid a repeat of last week’s landslide in Sitio Garaje, Barangay Busay that damaged 12 vehicles.

“I want them to check the stability of the soil. Can it withstand the structures situated in that area? There are mega structures there,” Guardo pointed out.

Guardo was referring to two major tourism structures in the area – the Mountain View Nature Park, an eco-tourism park complete with camping, swimming, trekking and retreat house facilities; and the Temple of Leah, an palatial edifice built in 2012 by businessman Teodorico Adarna as a tribute to his late wife, Leah Villa Albino-Adarna, which has now evolved into a major tourist attraction in Cebu.

“As far as I am concerned, the Temple of Leah is a mega structure. The structure is heavy, the soil is loosened and there are no retaining walls. What I am afraid is that because of its weight, (soil erosion can happen and) it will (cause) great damage,” he said.

He urged the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to immediately conduct a soil stability investigation.

He also asked the city’s Office of the Building Official (OBO) and the City Engineer’s Office to look into the permits and the design of the retaining walls of the establishments.

“We want to know if they have complied with the (building) standard (of) the city,” he said.

Guardo likewise urged the management of Mountain View Nature Park to consider temporarily closing their establishment.

He said the safety of the people visiting there must be of top priority.

“I think they should temporarily close. They can reopen once the OBO can check. The city engineers can check on what mitigating measures to implement,” Guardo said.

He also asked the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to construct a retaining wall so as to prevent the soil from eroding along the roads on Upper Busay.

He said the area falls under the jurisdiction of DPWH since it is a national road.