Tuguegarao City, Cagayan- A team of geologists and technical personnel from Mines and Geosciences Bureau Region II conducted a site inspection at the recent landslide areas that claimed the lives of 10 individuals including a two-months old baby and injured two others which is brought by the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses on Nov.11.

DENR Regional Executive Director Gwendolyn C. Bambalan and MGB Regional Director Mario A. Ancheta led the inspection at sitios Bit-ang and Kinalabasa in Brgy. Runruno, Quezon, Nueva Vizcaya on Nov. 18 which are within the Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) area of the Gold-Molybdenum Project of FCF Minerals Corporation.

According to MGB Regional Director, based on the result of the geohazard assessment, sitios Bit-ang, Balcony, Compound, and Kinalabasa are highly or critically susceptible to natural hazards and residents are recommended for relocation.

On September 2018, MGB conducted a geohazard assessment and result showed that sitio Bit-Ang is highly susceptible to hazard being highly critical to flooding and landslide. “The result of the assessment was presented to the community including the residents of sitio Bit-ang, Compound, Balcony, and Kinalabasa,” the MGB regional chief said.

Director Ancheta said that regardless of the mining activity, the areas have very high susceptibility to landslide.

Based on the recent assessment of the area, “the fatal landside was triggered by the inclement weather conditions resulting to ground saturation and eventual landslide and not due to small scale mining activity as earlier reported, “Director Ancheta said.

He added, “evacuation of the illegal settlers within the landslide prone areas should be strictly implemented.”

Director Ancheta also reported that despite the compensation offered by FCF, some families refused to vacate as they are not satisfied to the amount that the company offers.

The MGB geohazard study recommends for evacuation of the illegal dwellers and settlers as the area has very high susceptibility to natural hazards. – Lyndee Rose S. Basilio