Cebu Earthquake Unveils Hidden Dangers—San Remigio Mayor Warns of More Sinkholes
SINKHOLES – Fear continues to grip San Remigio as residents evacuate from homes near newly opened sinkholes, which officials say may only be the beginning.
More than a hundred sinkholes have been found in San Remigio, northern Cebu, in the aftermath of the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck the province, Mayor Mariano Martinez confirmed.
The mayor cautioned that additional sinkholes could still be concealed underground, especially as aftershocks continue to shake the area. He also disclosed that the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) had already alerted the municipal government weeks before the earthquake about the presence of numerous sinkholes in the town.
“Actually few weeks ago niari ang Phivolcs, ni briefing sila namo, and according to their assessment, that we have over a hundred sinkholes diri sa among lungsod. I don’t know why, I was even surprised nga kadaghan ba,” Martinez told CDN Digital in an interview on October 4.
“But karon, after the earthquake, we discovered them. Daghan ni pop up sa among lungsod. I’m positive naa pay daghan nga wala pa makit-e,” he added.
According to Martinez, at least 15 sinkholes of different sizes have already been confirmed in Sitio Sansan, Barangay Maño, while more have been spotted near Poblacion. This suggests that the geological hazard is spread across various parts of San Remigio and not confined to a single location.
Reports indicate that many of these sinkholes appeared after the September 30 earthquake, which had its epicenter near Bogo City. Some residents in areas close to these formations have started to evacuate out of fear for their safety.
“For now, we are informing the people about the sinkholes, and some people close to a sinkhole are evacuating,” Martinez said. “Ang uban murag safe pa, pero dapat dili gyud magpabilin duol. Ang mga duol gyud kato sila ang nag-evacuate kay nakuyawan man.”
Currently, more than a thousand residents are staying in open fields rather than in buildings, as aftershocks continue to cause anxiety.
“Before naa man gyud mi evacuation centers like covered courts, pero karon nobody wants to go into buildings kay kuyawan man… There are people in tents in our open field. And there are plans to come up with a tent city with the help of the national government,” Martinez explained.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is expected to evaluate possible areas for the proposed tent city, modeled after temporary shelters set up by humanitarian groups following Typhoon Yolanda.
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