The certificates are needed to ensure the stability of the areas where the buildings are to be constructed, MGB said.

Engineer Neoman dela Cruz, Cordillera MGB director, said that the region’s vulnerability to landslides, rockslides and mudslides, require the conduct of geological hazard inspections which must be a vital component in the issuance of building permits.

This would guide the applicants on the mitigating measures to be implemented in the construction of their structures.

He said it is the responsibility of the LGUs to require the presentation of geohazard inspection certificates from the MGB by applicants for building permits.

Ironically, he said, only a few local governments heeded to the appeal of the MGB despite the many landslides in different parts of the region which had claimed hundreds of lives and had caused property damage costing millions of pesos.

The municipality of La Trinidad, Benguet is the only LGU in the Cordillera which is imposing the requirement on building-permit applicants because the town’s terrain is susceptible to landslides.

Earlier, the MGB has classified almost all parts of the Cordillera as highly susceptible to geological hazards because of its peculiar terrain as well as its highly fractured rock formations.

Furthermore, experts said the Cordillera possesses all the elements for the occurrence of landslides, rockslides and mudslides, such as intensed rainfall, rapid development, mountainous terrains and degraded lands.

With the onset of the "La Niña" phenomenon, geologists said that numerous landslides are expected to happen in different parts of the region because of the huge volume of water that is expected to loosen the highly fractured soil and rock formations, which would cause movement that could lead to landslides.

Dela Cruz advised residents, especially in high areas, to strengthen the foundations of their structures by introducing additional mitigating measures to prevent the occurrence of the disasters, that cause loss of lives, and damage to properties.

He said Cordillerans must learn from the experiences of other areas, and must strictly adhere to the recommendations of geological experts so that local governments and the MGB would not be blamed for being remiss of their duties and responsibilities if a disaster strikes.

At the same time, the MGB urged the LGUs to police their ranks so that the forested areas in their territories would not be degraded by unscrupulous land speculators, citing the need to maintain a healthy environment for the future generations.