Save Davao Shrine Hills

Funding For Shrine Hills Geohazard Study

A P750,000 fund for the Shrine Hills’s development study is expected to be approved soon.

The appropriation is included in the supplemental appropriations endorsed by the City Mayor’s Office (CMO) as detailed on the Proposed Supplemental Budget (SB) No. 1 for Calendar Year 2010.

SB No. 1, which is yet to be approved by the City Council, is expected to be deliberated during the special council session on Friday. City Council committee on environment and natural resources chair Councilor Leonardo Avila said the sum will fund a geo-hazard assessment on Shrine Hills’ slope stability.

“I am positive of its approval,” Avila said through text.

The appropriation for the study in Shrine Hills stemmed from protests made by Barangay Ma-a Federation of Homeowners Associations Inc. (BMFHAI) to the council in opposition to the construction of two high-end subdivisions at the elevated parts of Shrine Hills.

“(It should be passed without problems) considering it was also the council that passed a resolution to the (CMO) requesting for a study to be conducted before the development plans of two subdivision are approved,” Avila said.

City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte last week said his intentions to have SB No. 1 approved before the new administration of Mayor-elect Sara Duterte begins on July 1.

Duterte was interviewed at the Davao Convention and Trade CEnter after a joint session of City Peace and Order Council (CPOC), People’s Law Enforcement Board (Pleb), and City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (Cadac).

Through a letter dated June 11, the City Mayor addressed the outgoing Vice Mayor requesting for a special session “to tackle, deliberate, and pass the requested legislative authority for SB No. 1, so as not to hamper the continuing operation relative to the Peace and Order Program of the City.”

The BMFHAI, since 2007, has opposed the construction of Camella Homes (formerly Crown Communities subdivision) and Palm Grove West of DMC Urban Property Development Incorporated (DMC-UPDI), said BMHOAI head Norma Javellana.

In aid of the legislation of the city’s Zoning Ordinance, committees of Avila, chairman of the environment and natural resources committee, and Councilor Pilar Braga, chair of the Zoning Ordinance-Technical Working Group (ZO-TWG), initiated an ocular inspection in Shrine Hills.

This was conducted November last year by UP-Diliman National Institute of Geological Sciences geo-hazard specialist and associate professor Sandra Catane.

The brief inspection was participated by representatives from both subdivision developers and BMFHAI.

Catane then made a recommendation to the City Council to conduct an in-depth study on the geo-hazard signs she observed as present in Shrine Hills.

Since then Javellana said BMHOAI has been handing out open letters to the residents of Ma-a urging for the protection of Shrine Hills. More than 3,200 signatures of support for the protection of Shrine Hills have been collected, which Javellana wish to present to incoming City Mayor Sara Duterte.

Catane identified geo-hazards in Shrine Hills to be:

* Rocks underlying the Shrine Hill are inherently unstable.
* Evidence of landslides including debris fall, rock fall and creep are apparent in steep slopes bounding the Shrine Hill.
* Groundwater levels in some parts of the hill are elevated as indicated by the presence of several springs.
* Natural drainages of the hill are hazardous areas as floods may inundate the houses during intense precipitation and continuous stream erosion will eventually undermine the foundation of the house structures. – source: Sun Star Davao, June 15, 2010

Landslides and Flash Floods due to Continuous Torrential Rains

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Monday called on the public to be vigilant as possible occurrence of landslides and flash floods due to continuous torrential rains in several areas in Northeastern and Southern Mindanao regions.

The DENR and OCD also urged the public, particularly those living in landslide and flood prone areas to be “alert” at all times and if possible immediately evacuate to avert any casualty.

For almost two weeks now, some municipalities in the Caraga region, particularly in the four towns of Agusan del Sur suffered severe flooding affecting 52,746 individuals and caused damage to infrastructure and agricultural crops to millions of pesos. Several houses were also reported damaged and three deaths were reported to date.

Northeastern Mindanao OCD Regional Director Blanche T. Gobenciong said that at least 291 barangays in the Caraga region are identified as flood prone areas while 183 barangays are potential of landslide.

Director Gobenciong reiterated on Monday her warnings to various disaster councils in the flood and landslide prone areas to be on “alert.”

Also due to the continuous rain in Southern Mindanao (Region-XI) also, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Regional Executive Director (RED) Jim O. Sampulna on Monday also called on all the local government units (LGUs) and the general public in the region to be vigilant as possible landslides or even flashfloods may hit their respective areas.

RED Sampulna said that since 2007 the Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau (MGB) of the DENR had already recommended to LGUs that appropriate warning signages be installed in landslide areas, especially in areas close to settlements and in affected major roads to keep the general public on guard in the event that landslide will occur or recur.

“Those who are in the different mining areas in the Region should also be observant and vigilant this time because continuous rain will loosen the soil and may result to unexpected landslide which can damage lives and properties”, said RED Sampulna.

The warning of the DENR official came out after a recent geo-hazard mapping conducted by a team of experts from the MGB-XI found out that there are a total of 94 barangays in Compostela Valley (ComVal) Province and Davao Oriental which were found to be either highly susceptible or moderately susceptible to landslide.

The region’s DENR official said that based on MGB report, out of the total 183 barangays in Davao Oriental, 67 barangays are classified to be moderately to highly susceptible to landslides.

There are 43 barangays classified as landslide prone areas, 21 of which are identified to be highly susceptible to landslide while 24 barangays are identified to be moderately susceptible in ComVal province, he said.

In Davao del Sur, there are 31 barangays classified as landslide prone areas, nine of which are identified to be highly susceptible to landslide while 22 are identified to be moderately susceptible to landslide.

Recent study also disclosed that some parts of Marilog District and Matina Shrine Hills, Davao City are either moderately or highly susceptible to landslides, added RED Sampulna.

DENR-MGB-XI had also conducted series of geohazard technical conference with the local executives in the region and they were also informed of these said findings.

The Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC-XI) was also already informed about the results of the same study, further added RED Sampulna. – source: Philippine News Agency

Geotechnicial Investigation With Slope Stability Analysis QSTS Report May 2006