ZAMBALES (July 15, 2003) -- Residents of the Balaybay Resettlement site in Castillejos, Zambales can soon sleep tight following the conclusion of the geohazard assessment conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB) upon the request of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC).

Regional Director Arnulfo Cabantog announced that the DENR-MGB Region 3 has already identified and delineated the natural hazards in the area and has determined the degree of risk that these hazards pose to the community.

Previously, HUDCC requested the technical assistance of the DENR-MGB regional office because some residents and local housing officials have observed cracks on the walls of some of the residential units.

“We immediately acted on the request because we want to help ensure the safety of the residents by recommending the appropriate mitigating measures that will minimize the effects of the natural hazards,“ Cabantog said.

DENR-MGB Region 3 geologists led by Cecil Martinez and Carol Sacdalan conducted the geohazard assessment of the resettlement site and the surrounding areas. The natural hazards identified by the team were slump, mass wasting, rill and gully erosion, and flooding. These hazards were further classified into high moderate and low risk depending on the degree of effects on the housing units and other infrastructure.

“The geohazard assessment report will guide the HUDCC management in the possible relocation of residents living in high risk areas and in implementing the appropriate mitigating measures. The risk assessment will also allay the fears of other settlers in the low risk areas,” stressed Cabantog.

The team also conducted a regional survey to assess the possible effects of some known earthquake generators in the area, such as the major faults and trenches located near the site that produce ground shaking whenever some movements occur along the fault plane.

In addition to the geohazard assessment, the team was also able to identify a new aquifer that will augment the site’s limited water supply. Residents informed the team that only a small volume of water can be extracted from the existing deep well. Geologists found out that this is due to the fact that the underlying rock of the well is gabbro, a poor aquifer that stores water only on fractured zones and weathered portions.

Although relatively distant from the site, the DENR-MGB noted that the alluvial deposits, or areas in the adjacent river system, could be the sites of new deep wells.

Analysis of water samples taken from these areas are within the standards set by the DENR.

For more information, interested parties may contact DENR-MGB Region 3 at tel. nos. (045)9613523 or 961-2799, or through e-mail mgbr3@yahoo.com. (Region 3)