Iloilo City – Sinkholes found in Barangay Oringao, Kabankalan City now total to eleven including the one in Sitio Jalandoni where five residents fell last June 26, according to geologists of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau Region 6 (MGB-6). MGB-6 conducted a follow-up geological mapping and assessment of the said sinkholes last week. The team gathered initial information from interviews of local residents on the existence of sinkholes found in 3 Sitios Jalandoni, Cantaghap and Malansa.
Of the eleven sinkholes, seven were already filled up and covered. Four of these were found in Sitio Jalandoni while three were in Sitio Cantaghap. Further, three more sinkholes were located in Sitios Jalandoni, Cantaghap and Malansa and these have openings.
MGB-6 Regional Director Leo Van V. Juguan discussed the recent findings of the re-assessment with Local Chief Executive Isidro P. Zayco of Kabankalan City and their Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management staff.
Juguan said that based on the team’s recent assessment, MGB-6 recommended specific measures to address the threats posed by the presence of sinkholes. The local government should warn the residents where the sinkholes are located on the presence and risks posed by these sinkholes.
The team also recommended that the recent sinkhole in Sitio Jalandoni should be immediately backfilled to avoid the hazard of accidentally falling into them.
Warning signages should also be installed beside the sinkholes in three sitios Jalandoni, Cantaghap and Malansa to discourage the public in going to these areas and avoid further accidents.
Information, education and communication campaign should also be done in the said sitios on the risks and safety measures, Juguan stressed.
“The findings were all based on surface ocular assessment. To get a more accurate and detailed information on the conditions beneath the ground, we recommend that a geophysical survey using a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) should be conducted to determine if there are more sinkholes that may be connected with the discovered ones, or in separate locations. We have already coordinated with the MGB Central Office and we already got a nod for their assistance in this study of sinkholes in Barangay Oringao and vicinities. It’s just a matter of time as MGB have been doing a similar study in Bohol because of the earthquake in March last year,” Juguan concluded. (MGB-6)
Erratum: Correction on paragraph 5, sentence 2 of our press release “More sinkholes found in Kabankalan City” originally posted on July 16, 2014:
Original Text: ”Warning signages should also be installed in Sitio Jalandoni, the center of Barangay Oringao and in Cantaghap where people pass through to access the barangay.”
Corrected text: “Warning signages should also be installed beside the sinkholes in three sitios Jalandoni, Cantaghap and Malansa to discourage the public in going to these areas and avoid further accidents.”
Please note that Sitio Malansa is included in the MGB-6 recommendation as one of the sitios where warning signages should be installed.
Our apologies for the erroneous statement.
-Web Admin