Illegal development causes landslide in mountain village
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 13:32:00 05/28/2008
CEBU CITY, Philippines – An allegedly illegal land development in a mountain barangay (village) in Cebu City caused a landslide, burying the village's only access road and endangering the lives of the public passing the area.
Cebu City Councilor Gerardo Carillo, action officer of the Cebu City Disaster Coordinating Council (CCDCC), said Mayor Tomas Osmeña had issued a cease and desist order for the land development in Sitio (district) Luton, Barangay (village) Mabini, which he would serve on Wednesday.
Loose soil and rocks from the development done on the land owned by Adrinico Adarna Jr. slid down the slopes and blocked the village road, making it difficult and dangerous for the public to traverse the area.
If the development will not be stopped, soil and rocks would continue to roll down the slopes and endanger the residents.
On Tuesday, the CCDCC cleared the soil that blocked the road using heavy equipment. But Carillo said Adarna should pay for the expenses in clearing the area.
"We are trying to clear the area at his expense. We are asking him to pay what the city has spent," Carillo said.
Carillo said he would check the situation on Wednesday and find out the purpose of the development as it was not clear what it was because it had no permit as well as an environmental permit from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The councilor also said that he received reports that the road, which is supposedly for public use, was blocked by check points established by Adarna.
He also heard reports that armed men roam the site of the development.
Because of this, Carillo said he might ask the police to escort him in checking the situation in the area.
The Adarna family owns the Queensland chain of hotels.
Cebu Daily News tried to get in touch with Adarna, but the person who answered the phone said he was out town.
The landslide is the second that happened in the mountain barangays of Cebu City this year.
The first was in Sitio Nangka in Barangay Sinsin, which forced about 70 families to evacuate.
Carillo said the rainy season had an adverse effect on the soil especially in the mountain barangays.
He urged barangay officials to report any land developments that do not have permits similar to that in Sitio Luton.
Development permits should be strictly monitored because the developers would not know if the area being developed is within a “danger zone,” Carillo said.
The councilor urged the Mines and Geo-science Bureau to come up with a geological hazard mapping in all the mountain barangays so that these areas will be closely monitored by the city especially during the rainy season.
The CCDCC office could also put up early warning signs in areas that would be considered within the danger zone.
"We should be watchful especially during the rainy season," Carillo said. /Correspondent Marian Z. Codilla
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