ROAD CLEARING. Heavy equipment are deployed in the ongoing clearing operation of a landslide-hit road portion in Taft, Eastern Samar on Thursday (Jan. 14, 2021). The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Friday (Jan. 15, 2021) said the road remains closed as work continues to clear the road affected by the landslide brought by heavy rains this week. (Photo courtesy of DPWH)
TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Friday resumed clearing works along the main road section in Eastern Samar that were closed due to a rain-induced landslide this week.
DPWH-Eastern Samar information officer Jayson Espeso said half of the landslide mass, estimated at 5,000 cubic meters, has been removed since it started the clearing operation on Thursday morning.
"For safety reasons, clearing activities will only be done during day time since it becomes a lot more dangerous to conduct the activity at night. Guaranteed that our field personnel are doing their best to clear the landslide at the soonest possible time so it would be passable to the traveling public," he told reporters.
The continuous rainfall triggered the landslide on a portion of the national road in Binaloan village in Taft town that occurred around 5 a.m. Jan. 12.
However, Espeso said clearing operations were delayed due to bad weather condition that makes the slope "unstable and dangerous for any clearing activity".
No one was hurt during the incident as the road section was closed to traffic two days earlier for safety purposes due to the possible occurrence of landslide and rockfall.
The road remains closed to all types of vehicles, the DPWH said.
Motorists are advised to take the alternate Buenavista-Lawaan-Marabut road to traverse between Borongan City, the northern part of Eastern Samar, Samar province, and this regional capital.
This week, widespread flooding and minor landslides were reported in several parts of the region due to non-stop rains that started over the weekend.
Thousands of families were affected particularly in the towns of Sulat, Taft, Dolores, Arteche, Can-avid, Maslog, and Oras in Eastern Samar province; Catubig, Catarman, Las Navas, and San Roque in Northern Samar; and Matuguinao in Samar, according to the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said the region experienced heavy rains in the past days due to the tail-end of a frontal system and a low-pressure area. (PNA)
