CANTUYOC, Jagna. – A barangay road descending to Canjulao from Barangay Cantuyoc in Jagna town disappears three meters below making the Cantuyoc-Canjulao access impassable to wheeled traffic.

Access is only through foot trail and that is hardly an easy one.

The cut barangay road link, makes travel to Cantuyok circuitous as the only road link open is through Tubod Monte, then to Malbog before skirting again to Cantuyoc, explains Barangay Chairman Geronimo Daguplo.

The new route is about twice longer than the usual over 3 kilometers using the broken barangay road to Canjulao and then to Pagina and Poblacion Jagna.

Last week, Jagna Mayor Fortunato Abrenilla shared the report to local papers, when the landslide pushed down some 3 feet of the road. The consequent report had the mayor telling that the depression has sunk further down to 6 feet.

Continuous rains which fell during the ending days of September has caused the already burdened portion of the barangay road which has a culvert draining into it.

Landslides however is nothing new in Jagna, which had towering cliffs and tall limestone mountains burdened by overgrown trees which also contributes to the strain the already saturated land is carrying.

Years back, a major landslide in Barangay Mayana buried houses, dislocated a basketball court and chapel bringing them across a national road and moving ricefields meters away.

In Sitio Taytay, Cantuyoc, the landslide appears to be a contiguous hectare of land  chopped off the hills, but instead of toppling down, it moved sideways as the base gritted under the sheer weight of the chunk chipping off.

The slid portion starts right from where a culvert crosses the road and dumps water from the canals in this rain soaked and soggy soil drenched by springs and forest run-off water.

“We used to have another landslide near the area,” barangay chairman Daguplo pointed out. It accordingly involved cemented roads which buckled when the soil sub base of the road gave in to the loosened dirt road.

Municipal authorities have already been informed about this, Daguplo also added.

This was also confirmed by Municipal authorities who has the Barangay Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council put up the necessary warning signs to keep people off the danger areas.

The Office of the Civil Defense and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and GeoScience Bureau have been notified so proper assessment could be given and community residents be appraised

Residents who have been earlier advised to seek safer shelter at night go back to their homes hear the slide areas which have dislocated an electric post about 20 meters and had toppled hardwood and endemic trees which were aplenty in the area.

The BDRRM is now securing the landslide area if only to keep people off while rains started to pour again Sunday. (rac/PIA-7/Bohol)