Multiple cracks have deepened and soil erosion has increased at a mountain slope at Camp Valdez, Barangay Mambaroto in Sipalay City.
The area has been cordoned off to ensure the public’s safety and a warning sign is up, Dionilo Bogtae, Sipalay City Disaster Risk Reduction Management coordinator, said on Tuesday, October 21.
A landslide prone area sign on the side of the highway warns motorists and passersby that falling soil and rocks could occur in the area, especially during heavy rain or earthquakes.
A geo-hazard assessment conducted by the Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau-Negros Island Region together with the Sipalay Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA) team on October 18 confirmed the presence of multiple large horizontal cracks at the foot of the slope.
The assessment found an estimated 80 to 100 meters of vertical displacement with cracks measuring 3 to 9 feet deep. Signs of a recent landslide were also noted.
Bogtae said they are looking at limiting the loads of trucks passing through the area to avoid further shaking.
They are currently coordinating with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) since the highway falls under its jurisdiction, he said.
Bogtae said pre-existing cracks in the area may have been exacerbated by heavy rains as well as by recent earthquakes and aftershocks.*