Phivolcs director Rene Solidum said that tons of lahar debris at the upper reaches of the river could still be remobilized that could bury the homes constructed at the lower sections.
An estimated 4,000 families moved back to areas to rebuild on top of their former houses already buried by lahar debris in the 1990’s after the big eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991. Starting 1997, however, lahar flows dissipated and gave the impression the areas were already safe despite their being within the megadike, a huge U-shaped structure designed to trap lahar flow in the river and save high populated communities from being buried.
In a recent media forum here, however, Solidum stressed that such areas have remained danger zones.
He said that since the megadike was built during the Ramos administration, it has not been affected yet by the so-called “siyam-siyam” similar to that which inundated the entire Central Luzon in the 1970’s.
Solidum has been repeating his warning in the recent years, particularly at every onset of the rainy season, but the families have ignored him.
He also urged local authorities to keep watch at the middle section of the Pasig-Potrero at the Angeles-Porac Road, noting that the portion of the megadike there could readily be overtopped by lahar flows towards the densely populated communities.
