BY: HAZEL F. GLORIA
Cebu City, July 30 (PIA) --- A newly-developed sinkhole with a diameter of 10 meters by 14 meters with a depth of one meter was found in Sitio Dapdap, Barangay Langub, Kinatarkan Islet in Santa Fe, Bantayan Island, Cebu.
Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB-7) chief geologist Al Emil Berador said the affected area including the subsidence or the sinkhole with some tension cracks is about 20 meters by 40 meters which continues to be progressing is underlain or carpeted with coralline limestone belonging to the Carcar formation,”
He said that the area is not safe among the residents since it continues to move and going closer to the barangay.
MGB-7 put up a signage or cordoned off the area and conducted a continuous monitoring to sustain the movement of the said sinkhole.
Berador added that sinkhole development is one of the geological ‘natural’ processes that could occur in the islet.
Meanwhile, MGB-7 regional director Loreto Alburo earlier recommended to the local government units LGUs to take important precautionary measures four days ago after he received a phone call from Santa Fe Mayor Jose Esgana last July 26.
He said the collapse or cave-in of the cave roof which resulted to the formation of a sinkhole may have been trigged by the intense and prolonged precipitation brought about by Typhoon Glenda and a low pressure area over the weekend.
The residents noticed last July 26 that a portion of a slight sloping ground in Sition Dapdap started to fall down with some tension cracks.
Around 92 households with 102 families or 237 persons are now placed at the Seventh Day Adventist Church as temporary evacuation site.
A number of houses were seen about 10 to 15 meters away from the subsidence or sinkhole area.
“We will be identifying a possible relocation site within the islet where these affected communities will be able to live safer and continue to live normally without fear on the geologizal hazards like sinkholes,” said Alburo.
Alburo said the identification of a relocation site is part of the technical assistance that will be provided to the local government unit making sure the communities are away from danger.
In a related development, Berador conducted a lecture on the geological hazards present and some measures with Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Baltazar Tribunalo who conducted a briefing on community-based disaster risk reduction to almost 200 residents in Sta. Fe including the affected ones in the said islet.
Barangay Captains Rolando Villacarlos, Vilma Dawa and Romy Illut of Barangays Langub, Hagdan and Kinatarkan, respectively, attended the said activity.
Berador also inspected three elementary schools one high school for possible damage brought about by the sinkholes.(mbcn/PIA-7/HFG with Eddie Llamedo/DENR-7)