ITOGON, Benguet — Legislators in Itogon are questioning the reliability of a Landslide Early Warning System (LEWS) installed two years ago, following multiple destructive slides that hit the municipality during recent typhoons and monsoons.

The issue was raised during a regular session where the council reviewed a proposal to authorize the mayor to enter a memorandum of agreement with a private company for the system’s operation and maintenance.

Councilor Alejandro Palangdan led the inquiry, questioning the LEWS’ effective coverage radius and whether the local government unit received warning data before the recent destructive events.

“It seems that the municipality did not receive data at all from the LEWS before the landslides happened,” Palangdan said, stressing that the device’s effectiveness must be cleared up before the council agrees to a maintenance contract.

The LEWS, which was funded by the Department of Science and Technology and installed by the University of the Cordilleras in Barangay Ampucao, uses sensors to monitor rainfall and soil moisture to predict the likelihood of a landslide.

Councilor Ernani Pis-oy echoed the concerns, noting that two landslides occurred in Barangays Acupan and Goldfield during the last rainy season, which he claimed were within a 50-meter radius of the installed LEWS.

Pis-oy objected to endorsing an agreement that would require the local government to pay the private company P500,000 annually for maintenance until the system’s effectiveness is properly assessed.