300 homeless in Subic landslide

Sta. Lucia Realty vows compensation

By FRANCO G. REGALA and JONAS REYES - MB.COM.PH

SUBIC, Zambales, Philippines – Three days of heavy rains have left a total of 79 families or 310 individuals homeless as 77 houses were destroyed in landslides and mudflows in Sitio Malinta, Barangay Asinan Proper, here, since Tuesday.

From 24 families recorded affected by the initial landslide triggered by heavy rains last August 2, the number of displaced families climbed Saturday to 79, Capitol official said.

The Zambales Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (ZPDRRMC) said there were two major landslides in the area – the first before dawn on Tuesday and the second around noon last Thursday.

Since rain fell continuously for three days in the area, mudflows also contributed to damaging more houses and forced more families to flee their homes.

Three temporary evacuation centers were set up for the affected families as assistance of food and other basic necessities are being distributed to the evacuees.

These evacuation centers are at the chapel in Sitio Malinta, the Asinan Barangay Hall and the Asinan Senior Citizens Hall.

Rescue teams were deployed in the landslide area to search for seven people initially reported missing after the first landslide. By Thursday afternoon, all of them were located alive and well.

An undetermined number of landslide victims were taken to hospitals in Olongapo City for treatment of wounds and other non-life-threatening injuries.

Rogelio Mansano, 44, one of the victims said the first landslide took them by surprise. “It was raining all night, when suddenly there was this crashing sound. When we went out of the house, dozens of houses were already buried around us.”

“Our house was hit by the second landslide. We were one of around 10 or 15 houses that were buried,” Mansano said.

His neighbor, Estrelita Chuachingco, 58, said they were already alert by the time the second landslide hit their village.

“Once we heard the crashing sound, we all ran out of the house. We saw Roger’s (Mansano’s) house destroyed by the landslide.”

Some of Asinan residents blamed the landslide on Sta. Lucia realty firm, which had changed the landscape of the mountain to develop an area for its memorial garden project.