Makati mayor orders families at rockslide site evacuated

A day after a rockslide injured at least five people in Makati City, the city government ordered the evacuation of 10 families living at the site. Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. said on Friday the rockslide site, below the ridge along C-5 in Barangay East Rembo, is a "danger zone." “The Makati Social Welfare Department (MSWD) is now closely coordinating with the barangay officials of East Rembo to arrange for the immediate evacuation of the affected families to a safer place. I have also given specific instructions to Brgy. East Rembo officials to ensure that no other structure shall be allowed in areas that may put lives in danger," Binay said in a news release posted on the city web portal. Meanwhile, two of the victims who were rushed to Ospital ng Makati by rescue teams have been declared by doctors in stable condition. MSWD officials have arranged for continuing medical assistance for Kenny Rose Valerio, 22; and Dondon Meastro, 17. Binay said a team of city engineers that conducted an ocular inspection of the area initially found some portions of the ridge to be unstable and prone to more rockslides. Meanwhile, MSWD officials, social workers and village officials, have called the concerned residents to a dialogue to discuss arrangements for relocation. The MSWD has programs in place to help informal settlers, including the "Balik-Probinsiya" program where the families will get financial assistance to return to their respective hometowns. The city engineering team had said it has informed concerned agencies that continuous downpour of waste water from the top of the ridge may cause erosion or rockslide. But it said it remains unclear if Thursday's incident was caused by the ongoing construction, which was being blamed by some residents for the rockslide, as it is located at least 15 meters away from the rockslide area. — LBG, GMA News