Evacuees return to homes in risk areas

CEBU, Philippines - The 15 families in Sitio Puti, Barangay Buhisan, Cebu City who were evacuated on Thursday returned to their houses early yesterday morning.

 “Gi-recommend nga pwede ra daw makabalik ngadto sa ilang mga balay apan kun mo-uwan, mo-evacuate dayun,” said Acting Barangay Captain Ramil Rogo. (They are allowed to go back to their houses with a warning to immediately leave their homes if it rains.)

Rogo said that as early as 7 a.m. yesterday, the 77 individuals who were asked to evacuate left the barangay’s gym and returned to their houses.

“Mi-sayo unta ko sa barangay hall aron magluto ug pamahaw nila pero nawala naman sila,” Rogo told The FREEMAN. (I went early to the barangay hall as I wanted to cook for their breakfast but they were all gone.)

The Cebu City Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (LDRRMC) and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) – 7 inspected the area at around 10 a.m.

Rogo said that a yellow line was placed around the high-risk areas to prevent people from entering the site.

But Alvin Santillana, head of the Cebu City LDRRMC, told The FREEMAN that although they gave Barangay Buhisan officials the freedom to decide on whether to allow residents to go back to their houses, they would like to insist for a total evacuation.

Santillana clarified they have recommended for the total evacuation of families “directly on top of the landslide path.”

“The risk areas have been identified but we can’t predict when the landslide would happen. That is why pre-emptive evacuation in better,” he said in Cebuano.

“Before something happens, di na ta maghulat nga naay mahitabo ug lahi na atong gipang-ugkat,” he added.

According to him, the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) has recently coordinated with them on the matter.

Last Thursday, residents woke up at around 2 a.m. because of the sound of rocks crashing down the mountain. Fortunately, no one was injured.  (FREEMAN)