HERMOSA, Bataan- Residents on Wednesday expressed fear of massive landslides after the discovery of a kilometer-long crack five to 10 feet deep in the mountain along Barangay Mabiga here after the onslaught of “habagat” on the second week of August.
In an inspection, Mabiga village chief Laureano Manliguez said should there be an erosion, it will affect not only lives and property in barangay Mabiga but also in Colo, another village of Hermosa and Barangays Naparing and Magsaysay in Dinalupihan, Bataan.
“Nakapagtataka na halos straight line ang bitak na parang sinadya itong tila fault line na lumitaw matapos ang matinding ulan noong Agosto 7,” he said.
The village head said to be directly hit are 18 houses and hectares of agricultural lands at the foot of the mountain in Sitio Riverside, Mabiga. In a worst-case scenario, he said the landslides may bury the big river and bring destruction to the four barangays.
“Mabubutas ang lupa at aagos mula sa bundok ang malakas na tubig na raragasa sa kapatagan dahil sarado na ang ilog,” Manliguez said.
“Sa alin mang ahensiya ng pamahalaan, sana agad tingnan ito, i-asses para malaman namin ang magiging epekto nito,” the barangay captain said.
He said the residents have been briefed on what to do and that evacuation centers in the church, barangay hall and schools have been readied.
Exequiel Macalalad, barangay tanod chief, said that when the river gets buried, big volume of water will rush towards the population area in neighboring barangays. “Ito ang matinding nagbibigay ng takot sa mga residente,” he said.
Macalalad said that they inspected the area after August 7 and saw the cracks spanning more than a kilometer.
Juan Clemente, 63, wanted that more than 100 residents of Riverside be evacuated while the crack is being assessed by experts. “Malaki ang magiging pinsalang dulot ng mga bitak sa bundok,” the old man said.
Clemente and Aling Flaviana, 56, recalled of the landslide in a portion of the mountain in 1972. “Nakakatakot, hindi na sana maulit,” they said.
Residents said a boy with his grandfather and grandmother died during the landslide. They said that three carabaos also perished during the erosion after frightening lightning and thunder followed heavy rains.
