ILOILO CITY -- Geologists have warned of the possible occurrences of landslides in hinterland villages in two towns in Iloilo especially with the coming of the rainy season.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Western Visayas has also recommended the relocation of an entire village in Alimodian town in Iloilo which faces the highest risk of a landslide. Rolando Calumarde, MGB chief geologist in Western Visayas, said in a briefing on Tuesday that, based on rapid geohazard assessments they conducted, there are increasing incidents of creeping in hinterland villages in Alimodian and Leon towns, northwest of Iloilo City.

Creeping is the slow movement of soil and rocks which usually occurs in slopes and is used as an indicator of landslide risk.

Calumarde said continuous creeping was observed in a cluster of upland barangays in Alimodian known as "seven cities" referring to the villages of Cabacanan Proper, Cabacanan Rizal, Tabug, Umingan, Manasa, Lico and Dao.

These were also observed in the villages of Bobon, Bacolod, Camandag, Danao, Bucari, Ingay and Cabunga-an in adjacent Leon town.

The villages are near the West Panay Fault, one of the most active earthquake faults in Western Visayas. The susceptibility of an area to a landslide is categorized through the sharpness of inclination (slope), existence of faults and water tributaries, and density of population.

Calumarde said they have recommended the relocation of the entire barangay and the elementary school building of Barangay Umingan in Alimodian because the village faces the highest risk among the areas that they have inspected.

The village is 32 kms from the town proper and straddles the border of Iloilo and Antique provinces. It has 140 households or around 800 residents.

The school which sits on top of a hill in the barangay has around 100 students.

Calumarde said the lives of residents could be endangered when the soil and rock are loosened in the onset of the rainy season because the movement of the soil and rocks is towards the center of the barangay where most of the houses are located.

The MGB made the recommendation to transfer the entire barangay since last year but this has been delayed in the identification of a relocation site and the lack of funds of the municipal government.

Sherwin Bering, Municipal Deputized Civil Defense Officer of Alimodian, said the local government is still negotiating with the owner of a four-hectare relocation site costing around P600,000.

He said they are finding difficulty in convincing the residents to transfer because most of their farmlands are in the village.

"We are not just transferring the school and the houses, we are transferring lives," said Bering.

Calumarde said the MGB will still evaluate the suitably of the relocation site.

The MGB has identified 41 towns and a city in Western Visayas that are facing varying levels of risk of landslides.

In Iloilo these are Passi City and the towns of Alimodian, Cabatuan, San Joaquin, Janiuay, Pototan, Dingle, Calinog, Lambunao, Maasin, Leon, Duenas, Dumangas, San Miguel, San Rafael, Barotac Viejo, Barotac Nuevo, Ajuy, Sara and Anilao.

The areas in Aklan were identified as the towns of Nabas, Libacao, Madalag, Banga, Dao, Banga, Cuartero, Malinao, Makato, Malay and Balete.

In Antique, the areas include the towns of Hamtic, Sibalom, San Remigio, Belison, Tibiao, Valderrama, Anini-y, Tobias Fornier, Sibalom and San Remigio. Calumarde said they have advice the local government units and the specific affected villages to monitor the soil and rock movements.*NPB

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