Marilaque Highway Section Closed Due to Massive Landslide

A massive landslide has blocked off a major highway connecting Metro Manila to Rizal, Laguna, and Quezon. In a 24 Oras report from Jonathan Andal on Friday, a portion of the Marilaque Highway in Baras, Rizal, has been closed for around 12 hours because of a landslide. Personnel from Meralco could also be seen at the scene attempting to fix an affected electrical post, which caused a barangay to lose electricity. The displaced land spanned 50 meters in Rizal. Giant rocks and pieces of land scattered around the road, with a jeepney nearly getting toppled. The landslide occurred after continuous rains caused by the Southwest Monsoon. “Akala po namin may lindol, yun pala, pagtingin po namin doon, may umuusok doon, yung parang may fog. Yun pala, bumubulusok na yung mga bato saka lupa,” witness Shiela Peralta said. (We thought there was an earthquake; it turned out, when we looked there, there was smoke, it seemed like fog. It turned out, the rock and ground were coming down.) Johnnel Ferrero of the Baras Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said that the water had saturated the ground, loosening the rocks. The trees, also being whipped around by the winds, could further contribute to the loosening of the ground. Nearly four kilometers of the road was blocked off. Some motorists were stranded or forced to take longer, alternative routes. Some of them were vendors; others were students on the way home. While vehicles could not pass, people could pass on foot through a cleared path on the side of the road. Officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways and other pertinent authorities began clearing operations by noon. However, the area is still dangerous due to the continued rains. By evening, one lane had been cleared enough for vehicles to pass. –Jean Mangaluz/NB, GMA News