The cracks in the ground where ten houses are located next to a retaining wall along the Palampas River at Purok Tindalo, Barangay 1, San Carlos City, are getting bigger, Joe Alingasa Jr., City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer (CDRRMO), said Monday, May 15.
The 58 residents of the 10 houses affected, one of which has started sinking, were preemptively evacuated Friday and have not been allowed to return for their own safety, he said.
They initially were evacuated to the San Carlos City evacuation center but they transferred to the Barangay 1 gym that is nearer to their homes.
However, Mayor Renato Gustilo said they must return to the city evacuation center where they will be provided with assistance as the barangay gym is being used for sports and other activities, Alingasa said.
Heavy downpour or a flood could worsen the situation and cause the houses located in an about 492-square meter area to sink, he said.
When the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) built the retaining wall the structural situation beneath the 10 houses was not checked because they are located on private property, he said.
When cracks were seen on the retaining wall and on the ground it was discovered that it is hollow beneath the houses where water has seeped in, he added.
It looks like a cave underneath the houses where mudfish abound, Alingasa said.
There is a hole in a section of the river wall that collapsed where humans can enter and swim beneath the houses to catch mudfish, he added.
The houses are located about one and half to two meters away from the river wall, Alingasa said.
The San Carlos City Engineer’s Office is coordinating with the DPWH to see how the situation can be rectified to ensure the safety of residents should they return to their homes, Alingasa said.
The mayor said he has directed them to see how the hole where the water is passing can be plugged and the affected area can be refilled.*