Bicol University

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Legazpi City
AY 2022 – 2023
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

Lessons from Southern

Leyte Landslide: A Case
Study
(Learning from Real-World Geological Events: A Case
Study Guide for Civil Engineering Students)

Geology for Engineers

Furing, Hyra Mae Ll.

BSCE 1C

Engr. Oliver Padua

Professor
 Lessons from Southern Leyte Landslide: A Case Study

The Philippines is a tropical country where disasters such as typhoons,

earthquakes, and landslides are very common thing especially when triggered by other

natural calamities.

One of the most common risks especially in mountainous regions is a landslide.

According to the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Institute of

Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-Phivolcs), a landslide is a movement of massive

rocks, soil, or debris down a slope, most commonly in hills and mountains, due to

gravity. It is possible when the driving force applied is greater than the resisting force it

has. It could be triggered by intense rainfall, weathering of rocks, ground vibrations

caused by an earthquake, and volcanic activity.

In the Philippines, there are numerous deadly

landslides that cost lives and other extreme casualties due

to different causes. One of the bloodiest and most

catastrophic landslides in history is the Southern Leyte

landslide.

In the year 2006, 17th of February, 10:30 in the morning, a massive rock slide

occurred in Mount Can-abag at Guinsaugon in the town of Saint Bernard, Southern

Leyte. It happened after days of rain downpours and just a day after the rain stopped,

the residents already went back to their homes. When the incident happened, the

children were at school and there was a celebration of the fifth anniversary of the

Guinsaugon Women's Health Association. On the same day, a 2.6 magnitude

earthquake occurred 2.1 km near Guinsaugon village. Not so long after, a massive

landslide occurred carrying 1.2 billion cubic meters of mud and boulders down the slope

facing the Guinsaugon. In less than 3 minutes, the whole village was buried.

According to the Southern

Leyte Governor Rosette Yñiguez

Lerias, over 200 students were

covered in the classroom with

seven teachers. There were also

80 women at the anniversary

celebration. After the rescue

The operations, only 137 bodies and

Landslide at
15 body parts have been recovered. Over 900 were missing and presumed dead. The

total death toll is approximately 1,500.

Upon further investigation, experts said that there were already signs but the

residents shrugged it off. From the report released by Rappler, December 2005 is when

some of the residents started to notice the tilting of trees and the appearance of springs

that are not usually there. From February 1-15, the rain poured nonstop four times

heavier than normal. February 16 when the residents noticed that small rocks fall from

time to time, very minimal that they did not bother to evacuate again. The next morning,

the unimaginable happened.

Experts say that it was already a disaster waiting for the villagers even before the

incident happened.
 Mines and Geosciences

Bureau (MGB) senior science

research specialist Salvio Laserna

said that there is a possibility that

even before that place was

inhabited, there are already big

landslides that occurred in Mount

Can-abag’s footslopes and that the Guinsaugon place where the houses were
buried in
built were old landslide deposists.

Old tension cracks, scars, and cat-like scratches on the mountain's surface,

according to Laserna, are signs that there have previously been significant landslides.

He added that, previous to the incident, MGB had been warning local

government entities that those communities were particularly vulnerable to landslides

since they were situated near the mountain's foot slopes. He stated that the mountain's

summit is also covered in gullies, which are narrow passageways down the

mountainside where water flows and landslides begin to form.

Moreover, there is also another factor that caused the landslide. Renato Solidum,

the director of Phivolcs said that the Philippine Fault Zone contributed to the incident

since the mountain’s proximity to it possibly added to its vulnerability to landslides. Due

to earthquakes, mountain slopes were easily fractured.

Solidum also highlighted the effect of climate change that exacerbates the risk of

landslides. He said that as the surrounding gets warmer, there will be more evaporation
 and rains that can cause the

mountains to get wetter and

easier to form landslides. It

could take time before the

water could sip deep into the

layers but when triggered by

earthquake occurrences

could make it collapse in a

shorter period.

Malyn Tumunonong, a senior science research specialist at MGB and the

spokesperson of the geologists’ team that MGB sent to study the landslide, emphasized

that the rock that made up the mountain is very prone to weathering and erosion

because the fault made them grind against each other over millions of years ago,

pulverizing them as well in the process.

Taking signs into a human advantage are not just a trivial practice that the

country developed over the years. It occurs to urge preparation. Signs are already their

days and even months before the tragedy. It’s already visible; residents are noticing

significant changes which are not normal but people did ignore them. Signs have

pertinence meanings and people have to act on them, and seek answers and help from

the authorities so they can save lives.

Yes, they did notice the fearful changes especially the falling of small

rocks from the slopes, however, they did not share the information with the

professionals, to the barangay officials. That is the biggest mistake of the residents.
They have a weak connection with their communities and leaders and they were not

able to act in time. That big mistake costed lives.

Also, the lack of an actual hazard map produced for everyone’s

information is another deficiency.

Nevertheless, tragedies like this can be prevented. DOST-PAGASA issued

on its website a list of the things that can be done to lessen the risk of landslides. The

following are stated.

1. Hazard Mapping

2. Public Information

3. Engineering intervention measures or slope protection measures

4. Early Warning System (EWS)

These ways are proven effective through the years in different parts of the

country. Hazard mapping keeps track of the places that are prone to landslide risks.

Informing the people of the basic information they need to survive a calamity and

providing hotline details in case of emergency keeps the authority updated on the actual

situation happening. Engineering measures or slope protection measures help lessen

the risk of landslides by providing protections that retains the soil and rocks from

collapsing down during heavy rainfall or earthquakes. Lastly, early warning systems

alert the public about how bad the situation is already so they can prepare accordingly.

It may be a very common trope but “Prevention is better than cure” because it is

not always that you can cure something, especially when it's gone.
 This geological event and hazard are related to Rock Mechanics and Structural

Geology.

Rock Mechanics is the science that studies and describes the behavior of rocks

for engineering purposes. In this field, it can be determined through a thorough

investigation and analysis of what type of rock a certain place has. When it is known

how a certain rock behaves or changes, it is easier to determine what is best to do.

Possibilities and be pointed out and proper actions will be done to carry out an

improvement, a certain project or prevent damage.

Meanwhile, Structural Geology refers to the three-dimensional distribution of

bodies of rocks and their composition to learn about their past involvement in geological

events and tectonic movements history. Just like stated above, it is confirmed that the

rocks in Mount Can-abag underwent massive landslides before it was inhabited. With

structural geology, tragedies like this will be prevented. Lives and infrastructure projects

could be spared if studying the rocks showed past geological events. Also, proper

infrastructure to help minimize the effects could be

Besides their distinction, these two also have a cohesion that helps each other

promote safety and functionality. They both interpret past mechanisms of the rocks and

predict the rock mass behavior that is essential in construction. They understand and

determine rock failures and many more about rocks that can be used to serve their

purpose.
 With these, we can see the significance of these two in producing and preventing

change, both negative and positive, in human life and the environment. They are

powerful enough to protect lives.

References:

Ranada, P. (2015, February 16). Lessons from Guinsaugon: How do landslides

happen? RAPPLER. https://www.rappler.com/environment/disasters/84026-2006-

guinsaugon-landslide-lessons

Bueza, M. (2018, September 22). LIST: Deadly landslides in the Philippines. RAPPLER.

https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/212440-list-deadly-landslides-philippines/

Wikipedia contributors. (2023). 2006 Southern Leyte mudslide. Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Southern_Leyte_mudslide

Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Institute of Volcanology and

Seismology (2023, April 21). Introduction to Landslide.

https://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/index.php/landslide/introduction-to-landslide

Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Institute of Volcanology and

Seismology (2023, April 21). Landslide Preparedness.

https://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/index.php/landslide/landslide-prepareness