MGB R2 assess landslide prone areas in the province of Batanes

To address landslide geohazard concerns in Batanes, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Office No.2 immediately sent personnel in the province.

The assessment team is composed of MGB personnel namely Mr. Jose Santiago Feril, Mr. Ezekiel James Galanto and Engr. Gerard Ano together with select representatives from Department of Public Works and Highways Region II – Batanes District Engineering Office, Provincial Engineering Office – Batanes, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) – Batanes, and Mahatao Mayor Pedro F. Poncio.

The team primarily assessed the Paderes-Chawa View Deck, Brgy. Kaumbakan, Mahatao road cut slope along the national road with landslide incident recorded last July 2022 due to heavy rainfall. 

Based on their findings, the said area is an immediate concern as it is identified as highly weathered and fractured volcanic breccia, composed of poorly sorted cobble to boulder-sized volcanics set in a tuffaceous sand-sized matrix.

Aside from its almost vertical slope, falling pebble-sized rocks also made this road cut slope hazardous to motorists. With that, the assessment team proposed early and long-term slope stabilization measures.

Moreover, other road cut slopes assessed along the national road such as Paredes to Brgy. Kaumbakan, Mahatao; Mahatao Shelter Port, Brgy. Kaumbakan, Mahatao; Brgy. Hanib, Mahatao; and Brgy. San Vicente, Ivana are also advised to install slope stabilization measures. 

The Provincial Government of Batanes conducted debris clearing along the slope and road.