Following a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that jolted the Province of Bohol affecting a number of cities and municipalities, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), through its Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) 7 has reiterated an advisory to all local chief executives in the three provinces of Central Visayas on the results of the geohazards assessment and mapping.

In an October 15 letter-advisory signed by MGB 7 Regional Director Loreto B. Alburo which was also furnished to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) 7 and the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) 7, it urged the city and municipal mayors in the provinces of Bohol, Cebu, and Siquijor to revisit and re-examine the findings and recommendations of the previous geohazards threat advisories.

“We are seeing a similarity of occurrence on the results of our rain-induced study particularly on landslides-prone areas which were rated moderate to high landslides susceptibility which were triggered by the recent earthquake,” Alburo said.

Alburo added that the LGUs were provided a copy of the findings and recommendations of the assessment with stamp-received by the Office of the Mayor so that they would be able to study and implement the needed measures.

“The letter-advisory contained some pieces of information that would somehow help the local chief executives in their disaster risk reduction and preparedness efforts,” said DENR 7 Regional Executive Director Dr. Isabelo R. Montejo.

Earthquakes can make the slopes unstable; generate tension cracks and fractures that may increase the vulnerability to landslides.

According to a report by the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management as of Oct. 17, 9:00 AM, there were157 dead and 281 injured.

“Complacency should not be a behavior here noting the findings of the MGB particularly those listed as high to very high susceptibility to landslides based in our August 20, 2013 letter-advisory,” he added.

Provided with the said reiteration of the results of the study included 53 city and municipal mayors in Cebu; Bohol , 48; and Siquijor, 6.

The team leaders who were deployed by Alburo to hand-carried the said advisories were Edward Malahay, Reynaldo Pareja, and Johannes Maxilom.