Landslides cut off village in Cebu

CEBU CITY, Philippines - A mountain in the city was inaccessible for most of the day Sunday after landslides blocked roads leading to the area. Farm produce were delayed in reaching the market because one road was cleared only around 3:30 p.m. by a Department of Public Works and Highways Region 7. Pamutan village chief Nenita Bacus said constant rain caused loose soil to slide 60 feet and cover the paved road at around 6 a.m. Sunday. Though habal-habal (improvised passenger motorbikes) could still pass, other vehicles, especially delivery trucks, could not pass until in the afternoon. Pamutan can be reached by passing through Punta Princesa, Buhisan and Toong villages. Bacus said another road leading to her village was likewise made impassable since Saturday after a landslide caused soil and boulders to cover the road in Sitio Kalomboyan, Sapangdaku village. Earth-moving works needed to be done but by nightfall, the road was passable, although boulders still needed to be moved away. Sapangdaku village councilor Lorna Damalerio said incessant rain the past days caused soil to erode and block the Kalomboyan road. “Sabado na nahitabo, nakahibalo mi Domingo. Daghang bato, dili maagi-an nagkinahanglan gyud og heavy equipment (It happened last Saturday but we only learned about it last Sunday. There are a lot of boulders and we needed heavy equipment to move these)," she told Sun.Star Cebu shortly after noon Sunday. But Barangay Captain Henreo Labra and other officials brought shovels and rolled some boulders down the side of the road. “Amo lang gitabangan pagligid ang mga bato uban para lang kaagi ang sakyanan. Wala pa man ang heavy equipment sa siyudad (We just rolled some of the rocks so that the vehicles can pass)," he told Sun.Star Cebu in a telephone interview Sunday night. City Disaster Coordinating Council personnel already inspected the area and promised that the City Government will help. Bacus said that when they learned of the landslide, they sought the help of Cabarrubias, who requested the DPWH 7 to provide heavy equipment. The landslide in Pamutan happened in the same area where rocks and soil swamped the road and affected transportation in the village during the October 2007 elections. –Sun.Star Cebu