GENERAL SANTOS CITY (22 February 2015) - The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) said what is taking place now in Purok Tinago, Barangay South is a case of “coastal subsidence” and not the feared sinkhole.
Dr. Bong Dacera, CDDRMO action officer, has clarified to the residents of Tinago during a public consultation on February 20 at Irineo Santiago National High School that it was not a sinkhole but rather an underwater soil erosion.
“Only the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) can declare if that is the sinkhole. But as of now, based on our assessments, it is a coastal subsidence,” Dacera said.
“Few meters from the shores of Tinago, there is an underwater precipice (steep cliff) around 25 meters deep. Throughout the years, the movement of the sea has eroded parts of this cliff, thus causing the erosion,” Dacera explained.
According to Dacera, if you are to compare to a surface phenomenon, what happened there is definitely a landslide.
The MGB has also released a one-page report that supported the preliminary explanation of the CDRRMO.
A team of geologists from the national office of MGB will dive any moment this week at Tinago to inspect and assess the erosion.
The results will also be used by the city government and the CDRRMO for disaster-proofing of Barangay South and nearby coastal communities.
Sinkhole or not, the risks are still high and looming for the residents of Tinago.
That is why City Mayor Ronnel Rivera has ordered a mandatory evacuation for all the residents of Tinago.
Thirty-seven families will be transferred to the relocation site Promise Land in Barangay Mabuhay. These families are those who were living nearest to the coastline of Tinago.
On the other hand, the rest of the residents of 9A Tinago and 9B Tinago will be relocated to a three-hectare land in Purok Lanton, Barangay Apopong.
Mayor Rivera promised the residents that he will do his best that they will be relocated within three months.
He also disclosed that each of them will be given 75 square meters per house.
The mayor also approved the request of some bigger families to do house sharing with structures.
“Actually this is hard task but since this is very immediate, I have to make arrangements so that residents in Tinago can be relocated and be moved away from danger as soon as possible,” Mayor Rivera said.
As of now, Mayor Rivera already tasked related local government unit’s departments to do land banking for the purpose of relocation and/or, if possible, for socialized housing.
These residents of Tinago will no longer be required to have Urban Development Housing Act (UDHA) certificate for easier relocation.
The erosion, if it gets wider, could affect 1,000 more families and even nearby villages such as Purok Islam.
Mayor Rivera declared already that Tinago is a “no-build zone” to restrict anyone from erecting any form of house or establishment there.
The erosion has extended around 100 meters to the sea. In an aerial view, the collapse is visible and distinct compared to the surrounding shores.
Also, locals have estimated that the entire scope of erosion is around 70 meters in diameter and around 640 meters deep. (Gensan CPIO/ Ian John M. Lagare)
No comments:
Post a Comment