Northern Mindanao Transport Sector Hit by Landslides, Disrupting Logistics

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY— Motorists should brace for more traffic disruptions after a fresh landslide struck the remaining alternative route linking Bukidnon to the Davao Region in Damulog, Bukidnon Saturday morning. Holy Robos of the Damulog Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office said they discovered a 100-meter crack along the highway linking Bukidnon and the Davao region in Barangay Pocopoco in Damulog after a night of heavy rains. According to Robos, engineers from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 10 office initially inspected the site and recommended a total closure of the highway. During a meeting with Damulog town officials on Saturday morning, Robos stated that the DPWH eventually allowed the passage of all vehicle types. “The arrangement now is that vehicles and cargo trucks will alternately use the remaining undamaged portion of the highway,” Robos told the Inquirer in a phone interview. Robos noted that the alternative route remains a vital option after a separate landslide forced a partial closure of the Bukidnon-Davao Road in Barangay Marilog, compelling cargo trucks to divert through Kabacan, Cotabato, to reach Bukidnon. Earlier this month, a massive landslide also closed down the San Fernando, Bukidnon to Talaingod, Davao del Norte highway—a major gateway to the northern Davao Region. The Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDEV) warned that recurring landslides and prolonged road closures are financially affecting Mindanao’s transport and cargo sectors. According to the DEPDEV Region 10 office, the highway collapse in Quezon, Bukidnon last year triggered a staggering P187 million in daily economic losses for Northern Mindanao’s transport and cargo sectors. /gsg