The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) 7 is sending a senior geologist to conduct a field investigation after a landslide incident allegedly resulting to two deaths in Barangay Cantao-an, Naga City, Cebu.

MGB 7 Regional Director Loreto B. Alburo said the incident may be attributed to the combination of several factors such as heavy rainfall, the type of soil being mostly bentonitic tuff characterized as typically porous and poorly bedded which has high absorptive capacity, very steep slopes, and the earthquake that hit some parts of Cebu province last August 31.

Based on the results of the geohazard assessment in a 1:10,000-scale last August 25, 2011, it was found out that three sitios in the said barangay were rated as very high to landslide susceptibility and these were Pangpang, Tayad-tayad, and Balico.

The same findings also revealed that sitios Proper Cantao-an, Township, and Riverside were categorized as high.

Senior Science Research Specialist (geologist) Abraham R. Lucero will conduct the investigation.

“We should be prepared and vigilant all times as we don’t know when heavy rains will occur especially those communities or residents who are living near or at the foot of the mountain areas as many geohazards are water (rain) induced,” Alburo explained.

Meanwhile, MGB-7 provided a copy of the geohazard assessment report on September 13, 2011 in Barangay Cantao-an with landslide susceptibility rating and a landslide advisory letter which was received by a certain barangay official Cerila Abes.

“We are strongly urging our local chief executives, particularly the barangay captains, to revisit and restudy the landslide susceptibility rating and landslide advisory letter which we issued to them so that they will know where landslide or flooding would likely occur within their respective area,” he added.

Areas usually with steep to very steep slopes and underlain by weak materials with recent landslides, escarpments and tension cracks are classified as very high to landslide susceptibility.