TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte – The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) in Eastern Visayas has deployed a team to monitor the condition of 52 families in Gandara, Samar who were evacuated to the Municipal Auditorium last Sunday after a landslide incident occurred in Barangay Calirocan in said municipality.

In a short talk over the phone with OCD 8 Regional Director Blanche Gobenciong, Chair of the RDRRMC 8, she informed that she sent a team headed by Asst. Regional Director Rey Gozon to the area to continuously monitor the incident and provide relief assistance to the affected families.

RDRRMC OpCen has disclosed that the occurrence of a landslide due to heavy downpour of rains for the past few days in said barangay resulted to the displacement of 52 families comprising 307 persons after their homes were damaged.

Based on the report received by RDRRMC OpCen through a SMS from Leofel Volfango, a staff of MDRRO in Gandara, Samar, it informed that five homes were partially damaged and one was totally damaged.

Prior to this, a rock slide also occurred in Purok 8, Barangay Cagnipa, Tinambacan District, Calbayog City followed by a landslide at the vicinity of Barangay Bugtong, same city which made the roads impassable in said areas. However, with the clearing operation of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), all roads in said areas are now passable.

The rock slide likewise caused the death of two persons, a 9 months pregnant mother and her 10 year old daughter while her other two children were admitted to the hospital after they sustained injuries.

With these landslide incidents, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council issued warning to all local disaster risk reduction and management councils all over the region as well as the public to take precautionary measures to prevent more risks. (AJC/CBA/PIA-8)