Misquote in "City to fund geo-hazard Study"

There is a critical misquote in the last paragraph of the above article. The majority of the 1,700 meter concrete road is, in fact, built over and through the steeply sloped Shrine hillside and some of its old landslide debris areas. Building of the subdivision road was without benefit of a City Council approved Subdivision Development Permit (DP) which has yet to be granted.

According to eminent University of the Philippines Associate Professor of Geology and a leading expert on landslide situations, Dr. Sandra Catane, "residents living below are at risk."

Four lower subdivisions and Ma-a Road at Gem Village Road were flash flooded several times when the Developer's top to bottom Shrine Hill road bed was being constructed. The Developer did not provide for proper
temporary drainage nor provide for adequate infrastructure to accept increased storm water run-off resulting from the scalping of ground cover.

The "plan" was to eventually connect to Ma-a's main drain, Datu Luho Creek. Unfortunately for residents, Datu Luho is already at flood stage during rains and cannot be deepened or widened because it is a tidal creek.

Luho flows backwards when the Davao River rises during rain storms and high tides. The additional hillside run-off would back up, overflow and flood Gem Village, Spring Village, St. Michael Villages 1 & 2, Datu Luho Village, Lower Sanggilang and others from the 600,000 square meters (60 hectares) of rain collecting surface, .

As a result of education and pressure from local advocacy groups in Ma-a and with the support of several City Councilors, especially Leo Avila and Pilar Braga, the Department of Public Works & Highways and the City Engineers Office have become aware of the true flooding effects of adding more run-off to Datu Luho Creek.

No addition attachments will be permitted and developers Camella Homes (a Villar company) and DMC-UPDI will have to find a more direct and costly outlet to the river, if the subdivisions are ever approved, which looks doubtful at the moment.

Shrine Hill is simply too unstable long term, and the Philippines has already had too many experiences with deadly landslides.