Mines bureau: Masara is also flash-flood prone

DAVAO CITY, Philippines - The villages of Masara and Mainit in Maco, Compostela Valley are not only landslide-prone but are also prone to flash floods due to the presence of two large bodies of water above it, the government said. Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB)-Southern Mindanao chief Noel Angeles said the two villages are located between two mountains that are not very stable. He said the two areas could easily be trapped in case the mountains collapse as what happened last September 6 and 7. He added that Lake Leonard and another big river are also situated above Masara and Mainit, adding that if the lake and the river's water overflow, it will drain down to Masara River. Angeles said the small Masara River could not accommodate the huge volume of water that may come rushing down, hence the two villages could easily be inundated. He added that the only way to avoid another disaster from happening is evacuate the residents away from the "death trap" and relocate them to a safer place. The local government is now in the process of identifying relocation sites from the more than 200 families affected by the landslide in Masara and the hundreds more families of Mainit that will soon be forced out of their homes. It was learned that several other villages in Maco have been identified as having moderate risk of a landslide. A resident of Masara admitted that since the '70s, about six landslides happened in their village. Angeles said that in the 80's, a flash flood also affected several residents of the two villages. – Sun.Star Davao