BACOLOD CITY -- At least 17 families were evacuated at Sitio Lower Manaol, Barangay Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental on Wednesday, Aug. 17, following the occurence of a series of fissures, landslide, and liquefaction activities in the area recently.

Reynald Horegue, head of Moises Padilla Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said these families consist of 64 individuals from 11 households.

Earth fissures are large cracks in the ground that are formed as a result of soil surface tension due to land subsidence (lowering of the ground surface elevation).

Landslide is the movement of rock, earth or soil, or debris down a sloped section of land mainly because of rain, earthquakes, volcanoes, or other factors that make the slope.

On the other hand, liquefaction is when a loosely packed, water-saturated soil turns liquid. Liquefied soil loses its density and ultimately the ability to support roads, buried pipes, and houses.

Horegue said they received a report on Aug. 10 about the occurrence of fissures and landslides in areas and conducted inspection two days later. They decided to evacuate the residents as the reported fissures and soil erosion were posing danger already.

Horegue said the local government advised the affected residents to temporarily move out of their houses for their safety since the soil in the area is unstable.

They were temporarily sheltered at the town’s evacuation center and were provided with basic necessities and medicines, said Horegue.

Horegue said they could not yet tell how long they will be staying at the evacuation center, pending the assessment of the situation there.

In 2009, the same activity happened in the area, recalled Horegue.

Horegue said they are waiting for feedback from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) that sent a team to survey and assess the fissures in the area.