Wednesday, July 22, 2009 [ sunstar.com.ph ]
RELOCATION for affected residents and establishments on a ground subsidence area in Aurora, Mankayan, Benguet remains far from realization.
In a recent meeting called by the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC), discussion focused on the municipal council's plans of holding its own investigation. It also centered on Lepanto's answers to allegations that subsidence was due to their mining operations.
Where and when the relocation will be have not been decided yet. A member of the Mankayan Council requested for a map of Aurora to ensure that wherever the relocation site is, there would be no subsidence as what is happening now.
Officials of Lepanto assured it would assist in the relocation but asked that once a relocation site is identified, only then can they provide a map.
The company, though, maintained that its operation is not the reason for subsidence as alleged.
They also deny that the ground is hollow as claimed. A hollow ground should have created a crater, one official of Lepanto said, adding that since 1999, they already informed residents of the existence of a fault line.
The number of buildings built on top of the subsidence area, however, increased.
This was confirmed by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau when it recalled that since 1972, it recommended for a stop in the construction of buildings in Colalo, Aurora and Poblacion because of the presence of fault lines but these were ignored.
With the recent subsidence, the MGB formally declared the area a danger zone.
In plans of relocating the Mankayan High School and 15 affected families, Benguet Governor Nestor Fongwan asked Malacañang to send an independent group of geologists to study the landslide. (RO)
Published in the Sun.Star Baguio newspaper on July 23, 2009.
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