MGB-7: Tinaan cracks not related to quarrying

CEBU, Philippines — Did the quarrying activities in the uphill sitio of Tagaytay in Barangay Tinaan, City of Naga contribute to the massive landslide yesterday?

That will be part of  the assessment being conducted by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau-7, which is still in the process of collecting more data about the incident and submit a report today.

MGB-7 information officer Marian Codilla said data are very technical.  But in a letter dated August 29 that the bureau furnished to Mayor Kristine Vanessa Chiong, MGB-7 said that based on the technical report, the manifestations of the assessed cracks/fissures in the subject site is a natural phenomenon and is not related to the mining operation within the Apo Land and Quarry Corp. tenement in Sitio Tagaytay.

“Further, the present nature, the number and distribution of cracks/fissures in the subject site are not considered critical and do not pose imminent danger to the neighboring community,” the letter read.

Codilla said that the letter was based on the joint investigation of MGB-7, the city government of Naga, and ALQC on the reported cracks in Sitio Tagaytay and not in Sitio Sindulan which is the actual landslide area.

Teodoro Cantal Jr., barangay captain of Tinaan, explained that the soil in Tagaytay, an upland area, flowed down to Sindulan, which is a lowland area.

Cantal himself confirmed the presence of quarrying activities in Tagaytay.  The hill, according to residents, had cracks even before the landslide yesterday happened.

Disaster managers said the rains may have contributed in softening the ground soil causing the sloped land to collapse. But some residents have also pointed the blame on the ongoing quarrying operations.

Cantal helped in the search and rescue operation yesterday. He estimated the affected area to be about three hectares.  He said that according to barangay data, there are around 20 houses affected, with an equivalent of 70 residents or individuals.

Mayor Kristine Chiong arrived at the Incident Command Post in Sitio Sindulan at past 10 a.m. yesterday and confirmed that the affected residential area is "nearby" the quarry site.

She said the city government already issued cease and desist order against ALQC sometime in last week of August.  She appealed that people should not point fingers to any entity for now.

What is important, she added, is to pull all available resources and focus in rescuing the affected families and evacuating all survivors and nearby village residents to safety.

One person, who refused to be named, sought help at the command post as he was looking for his father who he believed might have been buried in the rubble.

He said his father has been hired by a sub-contractor of APO Cement to look after the heavy equipment that was posted at uphill Sitio Tagaytay.

He said this has been the nightly job of his father who carries his dog with him every time he works.

When he visited the site, he said, the backhoe was already turned upside down while his father's dog, which survived, stayed at the site.

The MGB-7 said heavy rainfall on Wednesday night and early morning of Thursday may have triggered the landslide. — JMD (FREEMAN)