(Update) Evacuation ordered in 2 Rizal villages on landslide fears

Residents of two villages in Pililla, Rizal were asked to evacuate their homes, after a landslide hit a nearby village earlier in the day. Radio dzMM said that residents of Brgys. (villages) Malaya and Niyogan were asked to leave their residences for fears of other landslides in their areas that lie only a kilometer away from nearby Mount Sombrano. At 7 a.m., a landslide believed caused by heavy rains for the past few days hit an area near the Batlag creek in Barangay Niyogan, Pililla town. In the report, Pililla Mayor Leandro Masikip was quoted as saying that that while no one was reported hurt in the landslide, coconut and banana plantations were damaged in the landslide. In a separate interview, Rizal Governor Casimiro Ynares III also said there were no reported casualty or fatality in the landslide incident, since the area is "uninhabited." In an interview on dzBB radio, Ynares also added that that no structure stands on the one-hectare land, which is located five kilometers away from the city proper. Ynares attributed the incident not only to the continuous rains in the area but due to the fact that property was near a body of water. "Malapit po ito sa Batlag Falls kaya madali po talaga gumuho ang lupa dahil daanan po talaga ng tubig iyong lugar na iyon," he said. Ynares also said that he will convene the municipal council to discuss evacuation measures to ensure safety of the residents. "Kino-convene po natin ang council at hinahanda ang mga kagamitan sakaling may mga kakailanganing evacuataion," said Ynares, adding that they are expecting relief good to be arriving from the Social Welfare Department. He also noted that San Mateo and Montalban towns in Rizal are also prone to experiencing landslides, adding that the province was last hit by one in 1998. - Mark Merueñas, GMAnews.TV