NATONIN, Mountain Province, Philippines — The Cordillera office of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB-CAR) strongly recommended the immediate relocation of a public elementary school and four communities in Barangay Balangao that are situated in a geologically hazardous area.

The MGB-CAR said the Balangao Elementary School formerly the Apapawan Elementary School is currently located in a high risk area because it is reportedly prone to landslides and soil erosion in the coming days.

The MGB recommended that classes in the school must be suspended by concerned education and local officials during typhoons and continuous rains for a day for the safety of hundreds of students and dozens of teachers.

Earlier, the school was recommended to be relocated to safer grounds since the proposed relocation site is reportedly stable and is moderately sloping unlike the present school site which is just below a denuded mountain.

Based on the geohazard assessment report, the MGB-CAR disclosed the other geohazard areas include Sitios Apapawan, Chupapa, Poca and Teechen which are situated in dangerous areas prone to landslides, particularly during typhoons and heavy rains.

The agency found out that there are ground instability in the said sitios which is in the form of creeping, a type of mass and downward movement of slope materials like rocks and soil.

Moreover, it was found out that most of the underlying materials within the villages assessed are thick, debris or slide deposits which could have come from the mountain above the said sitios that were caused by landslides long time ago.

During heavy rains, some residents claimed sinking in the area happens when water slowly carries loose and unconsolidated soil causing tilting and partial destruction of structures such as houses and public structures in the area.