New CTU-Asturias building remains idle, poses safety risks

CEBU, Philippines — Despite being completed last year, the three-storey school building intended for Cebu Technological University (CTU)-Asturias sits idle beside a steep cliff in Barangay Langub, with officials awaiting a technical assessment on whether the site can safely accommodate students.

The construction began in 2023 and was completed in November 2025, but its six classrooms remain unoccupied because of concerns over falling rocks and debris from the mountainside.

Asturias Mayor Dana Andrew Dumdum said the local government would not risk allowing students to use the building while the safety of the area remains uncertain.

The mayor said rocks had fallen from the cliff during previous earthquakes, prompting the municipality to seek assistance from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) to verify whether the site is safe.

“Naghuwat mi sa DENR Bureau of Mines nga mohatag silag verification nga safety ang area,” he said.

Lack of classrooms

The issue has affected the CTU-Asturias campus, which currently has only one program, Agri-Business, and nearly 300 students who need classrooms for their classes.

CTU representative Ann Angel Matin-ao said the start of classes has been affected because the new classrooms remain unavailable.

“Currently Gov we dont have the classrooms unya nag start na among school unya nadugay lang jud ni siya Gov its because naa juy problema sa building, sa gibutangan sa building but hopefully puhon makagamit najud mi kay kinhanglanon sa among mga estudyante,” Matin-ao shared in a video addressed to Governor Pamela Baricuatro.

For now, the students are using an evacuation center provided by the Asturias LGU, although the facility cannot accommodate all of them, she said.

“Currently among gigamit karon kay amo pang evacuation center provided by LGU we have almost 300 students nga currently dili mi masulod sa evacuation center,” Matin-ao said.

She appealed for assistance in resolving the issue, noting that the campus currently offers an Agri-Business program.

Safety concerns

The concern over the site was documented in a July 28, 2025, assessment by CTU's Office of the University Planning and Development after the university assigned its planning and development director to inspect the existing academic building.

The assessment found that the building is adjacent to a steep, vegetated limestone or rock cliff, creating natural hazard risks primarily associated with slope stability, drainage and possible falling debris.

According to the assessment, the exposed cliff showed signs of weathering and fracturing that could contribute to rockfall, debris fall or possible landslides, particularly during heavy rainfall.

It also noted the absence of visible rockfall barriers, slope netting or retaining structures, while the cliff's estimated height of 30 to 40 meters and steepness could increase the likelihood of falling rocks reaching the area below.

The assessment further found loose gravel and debris at the base of the cliff, no formal drainage or stormwater management system between the cliff and the building, and improper water flow that could weaken slope stability and affect the building's foundation.

The building was estimated to be only about five to 10 meters from the base of the slope, placing it within a potential runout zone for rockfall, debris fall or landslides, according to the CTU assessment.

The report also said windows and other openings facing the slope could be vulnerable to direct impact from falling materials.

The university recommended a detailed geotechnical engineering survey to determine the stability of the slope and the integrity of the rock mass or cliff.

Among the proposed measures were the installation of rockfall barriers, retaining walls, slope netting, concrete berms, reinforced gabions or slope terracing, as well as surface and subsurface drainage systems.

The CTU assessment also recommended engineered vegetation, restricting activities in the hazard-prone area, establishing a no-access or caution zone, and developing a site-specific emergency response plan.

It concluded that the current conditions represented a hazard zone because of the structure's proximity to the slope, the potential for rockfall and the absence of mitigation structures.

The municipality had already sought MGB's assistance before the latest discussions.

In a Sept. 10, 2025, letter, Dumdum asked the bureau to assess the area after CTU's engineering department expressed concerns about the building's safety and reportedly recommended work on the mountainside, including benching.

Dumdum said the land where the building stands belongs to former mayor Alan Adlawan, who donated it to the local government to support the long-standing effort to establish a college in the municipality.

He said the building was constructed during the previous administration after the municipality received funding from the Cebu Provincial Government.

“Ang problema lang kay duol sa wall,” Dumdum said.

Contractor Henry Michavez said the building had been completed but remained subject to discussions involving the project and its safety.

“Tungod sa variation pud, ang building naay kakulian… gi consider nila kay delikado sad kono,” Michavez said.

Michavez said the contractor coordinated with the provincial government, the LGU and CTU when the building was established at the site.

He said he wanted the building to be formally turned over to the Cebu Provincial Government and for the matter to be coordinated with the LGU.

Asked whether he could guarantee that the building was safe for occupancy, Michavez said, “Dili ko ka guarantee jud.”

Yesterday, agriculture consultant to Gov. Pamela Baricuatro, Grecilda Sanchez, together with her team, Dumdum, representatives of the Cebu Provincial Engineering Office, contractor FGH Construction represented by Michavez, and Matin-ao inspected the site and discussed possible solutions to the problem.

Dumdum said the municipality hopes a way can be found to address the safety concerns and allow the building to be turned over to CTU-Asturias this year, but the local government continues to await the MGB's verification before proceeding.

“Hopefully, mapangitaan og paagi nga ma turn-over jud this year sa CTU-Asturias,” he said. — /IHM (FREEMAN)