ZAMBOANGA CITY (Zamboanga Journal / 20 Feb) A southern Philippine town mayor had ordered the forced evacuation of hundreds of people from a remote village following reports of a possible landslide in the area.
Mayor Samuel Uy, of Taragona town, said he ordered the evacuation after being warned of the possible landslide due to the continuous rains and erosions in the village of Tubaon, about 10 km from the town's center.
The mayor said he ordered the police and village leaders not to allow residents to return to Tubaon after the Mines and Geosciences Bureau warned the area is unstable because of continued heavy rains.
Weather experts on Monday warned that heavy rains may trigger flash floods and landslides in the provinces of Cotabato, Dabao Oriental and the Caraga region. At least 20 typhoons hit the Philippines every year.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services (PAGASA) also said the frequent rains in Mindanao may cause flashfloods and landslides.
"We are monitoring the whole eastern seaboard at least for the next four months because of La Niña. This includes Cagayan de Oro all the way to Davao Oriental, Cotabato and Zamboanga, which are now affected by a low pressure area," PAGASA chief Graciano Yumul told radio network dzMM.
He said residents near mountain slopes in the affected regions should evacuate. Heavy rains have triggered landslides Saturday in the village of Depore in Zamboanga del Sur province, burying at least 10 people, five of the bodies recovered by rescuers at the weekend.
In Leyte province in the central Philippines, more than 1,800 people are feared dead after a massive landslide swept through the town of St. Bernard. Rescuers said 72 bodies have been recovered in the village of Guinsaugon since Friday.
But communist rebels said blamed the flash floods and landslides in the southern Philippines to the decades of large-scale logging and mining, especially in the Caraga region. They said at least 5 people had died from flash floods in Butuan City and Surigao del Sur province since early this month.
"It has taken its toll. For the past couple of years, the Caraga region, specifically the cities of Butuan and Surigao and the province of Surigao, has been flooded during the monsoon rains and storms. Just recently, 4 died in Butuan, while Surigao Sur reported 1 death by drowning due to the flashfloods last February 7-11," said Maria Malaya Tigpamaba, of the National Democratic Front.
She said thousands or people were forced to flee because of the flash floods. Butuan City and acres of rice paddies were submerged under water, crops and houses destroyed.
"The flashfloods that caused destruction to livelihood and homes are results of large-scale resource extraction of logs and mineral resources in the region and the wanton disregard to environmental protection in the name of profits. Presidents and administrations past and present have sold the forest resources of Caraga to multi-national, transnational and local companies without a thought to its adverse effects," she said.
She said big logging companies, such as the PICOP, SUDECOR and Artimco in Surigao del Sur and Agusan del Sur are actively operating in the Caraga region. And mining firms -- Manila Mining, Placer Dome and Tag-anito mining among others -- are also active in Surigao del Norte province, Tigpamaba said.
"The massive mining activities are to be blamed for the flashfloods and landslides. The decade old large-scale logging in Butuan City has rendered its mountains bare and flashfloods happen at the mere drop of monsoon rains," she said.
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