Mayor Melecio Yap yesterday said the Escalante City government will purchase a permanent relocation site for residents of Sitio Baluk in Barangays Malasibog and Paitan, who were ordered to evacuate this week after earth movement and growing fissures were noted in their area.

Yap said the city hopes to find a relocation site for the evacuees in a safer area in Malasibog near their former residences so they will be closer to their farming areas.

There are 29 families from Malasibog with 129 members who have evacuated to the Malasibog Elementary School and the “Diyos Amahan” chapel, Escalante city social welfare officer, Lea Juntarsiego, said.

Six other families in Paitan were also asked to evacuate.

Yap said the residents sleep at evacuation sites at night but return to till their farms in the daytime.

The ground in some portions of the affected area is sinking, and also cracking, he said.

The ground beneath a basketball court has sunk, one can now touch the goal with one’s hand, he said.

Baluk had been declared a danger zone after fissures were noted in the area in 2007 and landslides occurred, but residents refused to leave the mayor said.

However, recent rains appear to have softened the ground in Baluk, causing renewed earth movements and increasing fissures, he said.

In a letter to Gov. Alfredo Marañon, Jr Wednesday Mines and Geosciences Regional Director Leo Van Juguan, said the area in Malasibog and Paitan from which residents evacuated was previously assessed by his office as “susceptible to ground movement and thus identified as geohazard site and classified as not totally safe for residents.”

He said they are advising all residents within the affected areas to evacuate.

A team from the MGB, Provincial Disaster Management Team and the Provincial Environment Management Office is set to go to Escalante today to assess the situation in Malasibog and Paitan.

Provincial Social Welfare Officer Liane Garcia said the provincial government will also send food assistance to the evacuees.

The Philippine Red Cross is also providing relief goods for them, she added.*CPG

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