Baguio orders intensive landslide risk assessment

BAGUIO CITY — The Baguio City government will conduct an intensive assessment of landslide-prone areas and explore engineering interventions following the 9 August landslide in Guisad Surong that killed 10 people.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong said relocating residents from hazardous areas cannot be done without first identifying safe and viable relocation sites, particularly as around 85 percent of Baguio's 56-square-kilometer land area is highly susceptible to landslides.

“Madaling sabihin na paalisin ang mga tao sa lugar nila pero saan mo sila ililipat,” Magalong said.

(It is easy to say that people should leave their homes, but where will you relocate them?)

The city government is coordinating with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and other agencies for a comprehensive risk assessment.

It has also sought assistance from the Department of Public Works and Highways, through Secretary Vince Dizon, to assess regional infrastructure requirements and develop measures against extreme weather events in coordination with the Regional Development Council.

The assessment follows the deadly landslide in Riverside, Guisad Surong, during Tropical Storm Maymay and prolonged southwest monsoon rains. The affected site has since been declared a no-build zone.

An evaluation by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office found the area fully saturated and highly vulnerable to slope failure, consistent with hazard maps and the city's Comprehensive Land Use Plan.

City Planning, Development and Sustainability Office Coordinator Donna Tabangin said several factors contributed to the slope failure, including critical slopes, inadequate drainage, seismic susceptibility and unsuitable vegetation.

A digital twin analysis also showed that the three houses directly hit by the landslide, as well as neighboring structures, did not have valid building permits.

The city plans to inspect other high-risk areas to identify and implement preventive measures.