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Bacolod City, Philippines Thursday, January 12, 2012
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Mayor orders evacuation
at Escalante danger zone

BY CARLA GOMEZ

Residents of a remote area in Escalante town, declared a permanent danger zone by the Mines Geosciences and Bureau after experiencing landslides in the past and now with growing fissures in the ground, were evacuated Tuesday and yesterday to ensure their safety, Escalante Mayor Melecio Yap said.

Yap said he ordered the evacuation to remove residents of Sitio Baluk in barangays Malasibog and Paitan, about 5 kilometers from the city proper, away from harm’s way, after the recent landslides in Mindanao.

The residents of the area had been told to evacuate before, but had refused to do so, the mayor said. There have been slight movements reported in the earth in Baluk lately and rains have filled fissures in the ground with water raising concerns that new landslides could occur.

There are 35 families living in the area that has been declared a permanent danger zone. As of yesterday 29 families with 129 members had already evacuated to the Malasibog Elementary School and the “Diyos Amahan” chapel, Escalante city social welfare officer Lea Juntarsiego said.

Yap said a permanent relocation side for the evacuees was being identified, and meanwhile, the city government was providing them with food assistance at the evacuation sites.

The Escalante Social Welfare Office and General Services Office noted recent soil movement in Paitan and Malasibog, Provincial Social Welfare Officer Liane Garcia said.

The Provincial Disaster Management Team will visit the affected barangays to assess the situation tomorrow, its head, Vicfran Defante, said.*CPG

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