Landslide disrupts tourist service at Lake Sebu’s Seven Falls

Tourist service operations at the Seven Falls in Lake Sebu in South Cotabato halted for hours after a landslide hit Barangay Lahit Wednesday morning due to days of continuous heavy rain.

Aside from the one that covered with soil the road leading to the Seven Falls, pockets of landslides  also eroded some roads linking Sitios Upper Tialan, Tboli, and Takalfung to other areas in the barangay, Lahit baragay chairman Tomas Panerio said.

Quoting Panerio, GMA News reported Thursday that trees along rain-soaked roadsides fell on some road sections, obstructing the traffic flow leading to the falls that draws in foreign and local tourists.

Also, Panerio said that the downpour in the past few days was abnormal, especially on a supposedly dry-season month.

"Halos one week na talaga itong parang abnormal ang rainfall. Masabi natin na abnormal kasi nasa [dry season] pa tayo ngayon pero ang rainfall napakalakas."

Also he said that the foundation of the soil in the area is porous because the rock formation is not solid.

"Hindi siya matibay dahil hindi siya clay at ang rock formation diyan ay hindi solid… ang tawag sa amin niyan 'buga' o yung kung ma-expose sa init ay napaka-dry niya pero kung uulanin naman ay nawa-wash out ito," Panerio added.

The good thing, he said, "Walang naiulat na nasawi sa landslide."

According to him, the provincial government on Wednesday sent two units of heavy equipment to clear the roads of obstructions.

Tourist service at the Seven Falls resumed early this Thursday, Panerio said. —LBG, GMA News