Places Where Faultlines Have Traversed Are Landslide-Prone-Abad

March 4,2010
Places Where Faultlines Have Traversed Are Landslide-Prone –Abad
By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-Municpalities where Philippine Faultlines were detected to have traversed underground its respective areas become automatically landside-prone and earthquake-prone.
This was the disclosure of Eva Abad, head of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Management Office (PENRMO) in a recent interview at the provincial capitol here.
Tracing the UP-Tacloban-GTZ’s partnership creation of the geo-hazard map, with the guidance of the map’s legend, she pointed out that a faultline from Abuyog, Leyte is passing to Silago down to Hinunangan and Hinundayan areas.
Another faultline from Abuyog passes to St.Bernard and crosses to Cabalian Bay up to Panaon Island sea on both sides facing Mindanao. A faultline was also traced coming from Biliran which traverses up to Southern Leyte and also crossing the Leyte Province. A faultline was also detected in Mahaplag, Leyte.
Mahaplag’s faultline likewise traverses to Sogod, Libagon and Liloan. While that of San Francisco’s and San Ricardo’s detection of faultlines are passing along the sea.
A branch-out of the Philippine Faultline also passes along the sea of Bontoc, part of Tomas Oppus, Malitbog,
and also Part of Padre Burgos and Limasawa Island.Still another faultline was found in Inopacan,Leyte
while other faultlines, have traversed in some areas along the sea. Along the faultline, Abad reiterated, are also earthquake-prone areas. “Those areas having faultlines underneath the mountains”, she informed, “are also prone to landslides”.
On the other hand, cited as tsunami-prone areas in the province of Southern Leyte are the coastal municipalities of Silago, Hinunangan, Hinundayan, Anahawan, San Juan, St.Beranrd, and the whole of Panaon Island facing Mindanao.
Specifically, landslide-prone areas are identified like Panaon Island, Libagon, Sogod, Macrohon, part of Tomas Oppus and Padre Burgos, all of the Pacific towns’ mountainous areas, and Maasin.While Hinunangan aside from being a tsunami-prone municipality, is also a flood-prone area.
Abad added that majority of the mountainous areas of the province are landslide-prone.

Helpful Solutions
The PENRMO head informed that for the landslide-prone and flood-prone areas, one of the effective and helpful solutions is for the barangay, municipal and LGU officials to spearhead the compulsory planting
Of forest trees that are endemic in Southern Leyte.
Abad pointed out that every LGU municipalities and its comprising barangays must have a reforestation project whose budget must have a regular funding in the annual investment plan. For flood-prone areas an all-out reforestation in all denuded forests must be pursued.
If a hill or part of a mountainous area is used for agriculture, she further emphasized, farmers must adapt sloping agriculture technology thru the technical assistance of the Local Govt. Unit Office.

Shoreline Easement
For the tsunami-prone areas of the province.Dr. Jurgenne Primavera, a Filipino Scientist, disclosed during a recent seminar-workshop held at Sogod attended by representatives of tsunami-prone municipalities that to reduce the destructive impact of typhoons and tsunami, shoreline easement must be conducted and implemented.”20 meters away from the shoreline(landward)must be planted with beach forest trees like anunang,bitaog,talisay,bituon,nino,abgao,lagundi,bani and other associated species that thrive along the coastlines”, Primavera said.
Primavera also urged concerned public officials to identify areas with coastal erosions and conduct tree-planting activities to prevent more damages. He enjoined Chief Executives and LGU officials whose jurisdictional municipalities are located near the sea to have nurseries for all types of mangroves and maintain its operational existence to meet future needs.
For her part, Abad furthermore said that abandoned fishpond areas be reverted for mangrove rehabilitation and denuded mangrove areas be rehabilitated. The cutting of beach forest trees along the designated shoreline easements of the province should not be allowed.
Our source added that intensive educational drive and awareness to the local leaders, the academe, People Organizations,NGOs,the private and the religious sectors must be conducted so that the people in the entire province be made aware of the areas’ condition and would help in the realization of the remedial measures being undertaken. (Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)