MAASIN CITY, (PIA) — The Southern Leyte District Engineering Office (SLDEO) promptly steered clear three road sections in the province that were partially blocked by minor landslides due to continuous rains brought by a low pressure area weather disturbance last week.
The non-stop, heavy rains on Thursday caused slight soil movements down mountain slopes in barangay Dinahugan, Padre Burgos, barangay Hibod-Hibod, Sogod, and Bil-atan road section in San Ricardo.
In a statement, DPWH District Engineer Ma. Margarita Junia said the flow of traffic was not interrupted by the landslides and rockslides since the debris only blocked half the road.
“Our maintenance team immediately cleared the road from debris and removed fallen trees. We also pre-positioned some of our equipment in strategic areas in anticipation of possible rainfall-induced landslide,” DE Junia said.
The half-lane blocked road portions are vital links from Leyte to Mindanao and Luzon being part of the nautical highway’s eastern seaboard route.
DPWH-SLDEO has completed all clearing operations around 5 p.m. on Thursday.
In the same press statement, Engr. Gideon Sacro, SLDEO maintenance section chief, said the district office is stepping up monitoring in landslide-prone areas from Sogod to San Ricardo towns during rainy days, in which 40 workers were assigned in different vulnerable sections.
“Now that we are experiencing heavy downpour, the SLDEO’s maintenance personnel are always prepared to respond to emergencies. We, likewise, remind the public to remain vigilant as such occurrence is unpredictable,” Sacro said. (PIA8-Southern Leyte)
