By Mar S. Arguelles
Thousand of villagers of a remote upland village in Oas town in Albay is about to be permanently relocated as disaster authorities fear that the entire village will be wiped out once a major landslide occurs.
Albay Governor Joey Salceda, chairperson of the Albay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC), is recommending for the relocation of 219 families or 1,136 people in barangay Calaguimit, Oas town, which lies at a mountain slope and is very vulnerable to landslides.
The permanent relocation of the residents came up after a landslide that hit the village buried on Thursday at least six houses.
Salceda quoting a report from Oas town Mayor Gregorio Ricarte said the incident occurred at around 2:30 p.m. Thursday when rains saturated the soil of a mountain slope that triggered a landslide measuring 10 meters deep, 20 meters wide and 50 meters in length.
No one was reported hurt by the avalanche as neighbors were quick to move the families to a safer ground.
Houses buried in the landslide were made mostly of concrete and light materials.
The six families composed of 29 people are temporarily housed at the barangay hall.
In an interview, Abundio Orcio, a village resident, said he and eight laborers were working on a road pavement when they noticed that water from the mountain slopes was flowing and heard a rumbling sound.
Sensing that a possible landslide may occur anytime Orcio said he immediately shouted to the neighborhood to abandon their homes as an avalanche would occur.
He said “I felt the earth shook and heard a thunder like sound then the soil detached and fell and slid down the creek.†- pna
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