Provincial Social Welfare Officer Alice Lagarde requested yesterday for additional rice relief of 50 bags and shelter allowance for 94 families whose houses were damaged during the continued rainfall from Typhoon Ondoy in Canlaon City.

Reported affected were 918 families whose agricultural crops were damaged by strong rains.  Canlaon City is one of the vegetable baskets of Negros Oriental because of its rich soil.

Provincial Agriculturist Gregorio Paltinca said a strong rain affects vegetable production, especially those varieties that cannot survive in continuous heavy rains. Some of the vegetable products from Canlaon are cabbage, pechay, carrots, broccoli onions and other high valued crops.

Meanwhile, some residents of Barangay Budlasan were alarmed at the visible soil crack that Barangay Chairman Rolly Cabolinas said led towards the direction of the Barangay Elementary School, Canlaon City.

Provincial Social Welfare Officer Alice Lagarde reported to Governor Emilio Macias, II that several families are directly affected and needed to be relocated to a safe area. The soil crack has an approximate horizontal length of 250 meters with vertical soil displacement of 24 inches. Its depth is still undetermined.

Lagarde said that, based on the statement of the barangay captain, the residents started to notice the soil crack in March 2009 and seems to be increasing in length and width.

They still do not know what to do since they need the expertise of a geologist to look into it.  Cabolinas wants to prevent accidents but some of the residents refuse to transfer because they do not have any other place to go to.

Macias asked the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council to take up the concern on areas that are prone to landslides especially those identified by the DENR.

National Irrigation Administration provincial manager, Dexter Patrocinio, said the geological map survey is very important because it would serve as a guide to identify areas prone to landslides.

Macias ordered Lagarde to look for a geology expert in the province who can study the reported soil crack in Barangay Budlasan, Canlaon City.*MA

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