Bukidnon Landslide Debris Clearing Expected to Take 4 Months

Clearing operations at a massive landslide site in Sitio Balakayo, Barangay Kalagangan, San Fernando, Bukidnon may take about four months to complete, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said. The landslide, triggered by continuous heavy rains enhanced by Super Typhoon Inday on July 6, buried a large section of the highway linking Bukidnon to Davao del Norte via San Fernando, Talaingod, and Kapalong. Shara Vinessa Garcia, DPWH Bukidnon 1st District Engineering Office spokesperson, said on Wednesday that an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 cubic meters of soil, rocks, trees and other debris must be cleared from the site. Garcia denied claims that the agency lacks heavy equipment, saying district engineering offices in Bukidnon, the DPWH regional office, and the San Fernando local government have deployed additional equipment to speed up the operation. She, however, said progress depends on the weather, with intermittent rains brought by the southwest monsoon continuing to hamper the activities. Meanwhile, teacher Jei Capao said a parked motorcycle belonging to a fish vendor was buried by another landslide in the area on the evening of July 21. No injuries were reported. The DPWH district office urged the San Fernando local government to discourage motorists from using an improvised footpath across the landslide, where locals reportedly charge motorcycle drivers a fee to cross the road despite the risk. The Balakayo landslide is among the major calamities that recently hit Mindanao, following the road collapse in Sitio Marahan, Marilog District, Davao City, which continues to disrupt the traffic flow between Davao and Northern Mindanao. /apl