MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Jan. 19 (PNA) -– After
three days of clearing operations, a portion of primary highway in Sogod,
Southern Leyte remained close to traffic as mud and rocks continue to pour down
to the road from steep slopes.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)
Southern Leyte District Engineer Ma. Margarita C. Junia said the road has been
passable since Wednesday, but not open to traffic since there are still
potentially dangerous volumes of landslides uphill near the road.
“Clearing operations is ongoing, but removal
efforts are hampered by heavy rains and poor visibility,” Junia said.
An estimated 2,500 cubic meters of landslide debris
blocked the road on Monday noon in Kahupian village in Sogod town, just 1.5
kilometers away from the tall Agas-Agas Bridge.
The road section is a vital link from Luzon to
Mindanao as part of the nautical highway’s eastern seaboard route.
With the road closure, Mindanao-bound buses and
trucks have to pass through the longer route of Baybay City-Bato-Bontoc Road to
get to Liloan or San Ricardo ports in Southern Leyte. Another alternative is
the Abuyog-Silago Road.
Aside from Kahupian, the DPWH also reported minor
landslides and rockslides this week in Camang village, San Ricardo town;
Olisihan village, Sogod town; and Ilag village, Liloan town. Road sections in
these areas are all passable after clearing operations.
Prior to this week’s landslide caused by low
pressure area and tail end of a cold front, the DPWH in Southern Leyte has been
stepping up preparations for the rainy season, especially that many areas in
the province have been tagged as vulnerable to rockslides and mudslides.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) ranked
Southern Leyte province as the seventh most vulnerable to heavy landslides in
the Philippines. Based on MGB’s geohazard mapping and assessment, the province
recorded a 78 percent landslide probability.
LAP/SQM/PR/EGR
No comments:
Post a Comment