Cebu Sinkholes Closely Monitored – DENR

More than 100 sinkholes are being monitored by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) in Cebu province.

In this week’s Kapihan sa PIA-Cebu, MGB officials revealed there are plenty of sinkholes and probable sinkhole sites which are monitored by their office.

Al Emil Berador, MGB-7 Chief Geologist, when asked by reporters, said the presence of sinkholes is the focus of the Subsidence Mapping which they started late last year after the completion of the Geohazard mapping among all local government units in Central Visayas.

So far, subsidence hazard mapping and assessment were already conducted in the towns of Oslob, Santa Fe, and cities of Bogo and Lapulapu wherein collapse, suffusion, and solution types of sinkholes were noted.

Ma. Elena Lupo, Supervising Geologist of MGB-7, said the assessment in said areas concluded that these LGUs are made up of massive limestone which are also characterized by presence of solution cavities, sinkholes and caves.

“These features make limestone underlain areas susceptible to ground subsidence hazards and could be triggered by earthquakes and the like,” Lupo said.

In Cebu City, he said there are sinkholes in Barangay Guadalupe which are closely monitored.

They advise local chief executives to be on alert and implement the conducted subsidence map.

MGB targets finishing the subsidence hazard mapping by next year.

Meanwhile, MGB reported the completion of geohazard mapping in all LGUs in Central Visayas.

They urged local chief executives to put these maps into good use in crafting their Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plans. (rmn/fcc/PIA7-Cebu)