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DPWH clears landslide-hit road in E. Samar

The road section blocked by rain-induced landslides in Taft, Eastern Samar is now passable to all types of vehicles after hours of clearing operations, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said Thursday. DPWH Eastern Samar district engineering office chief Alvin Ignacio said the landslide was in Binaloan village in Taft town within the highway that links the provinces of Samar and Eastern Samar. The landslide occurred past 7 p.m. on Wednesday when debris blocked two lanes of the Paranas-Taft-Borongan Road. No one was hurt by the soil erosion. ‘The said road is now passable to all types of vehicles; however, the traveling public is advised to drive with caution when passing this area, especially during heavy rains due to possible occurrence of landslides and rockfall,’ Ignacio said in a statement. Some parts of Eastern Visayas have experienced rainfall this week due to weather disturbances earlier forecast by Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). The road section in Binaloan village is frequently hit by landslides and rockfall during rainy days due to its steep slope and unstable soil. The DPWH is eyeing to protect 1.7 kilometers of road stretch in Eastern Samar from frequent rockfalls through a netting project. The rockfall netting project will be the permanent solution to the closure of the Paranas-Taft-Borongan Road every rainy season. The 1.7-kilometer road section is within the road network that links the provincial capitals of Catbalogan City in Samar and Borongan City in Eastern Samar. Rock netting on unstable rock faces and slopes is a way to contain and control rock slides, protect against the effects of erosion, and improve stability. Net installation is concentrated in the landslide-prone areas in San Rafael, Binaloan, and San Pablo villages, all in the town of Taft in Eastern Samar.

Source: Philippines News Agency

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