CEBU City Mayor Nestor Archival is seeking help from private contractors to provide equipment for clearing soil and debris in landslide-hit Barangay Pulangbato, where three members of a family died and 20 to 40 families may be at risk because of an unstable slope.
Archival said the families could be at risk following the landslide on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Sitio Kandarong Riverside.
He said the City Government and barangay officials needed to coordinate measures to address the danger, particularly after cracks were reportedly observed in the upper portion of the slope, where water had accumulated.
The mayor warned that the trapped water could eventually flow downhill with the soil, threatening residents living below.
Archival said some contractors had expressed willingness to help by providing equipment, including trucks, to haul soil and debris from the area.
However, he said the contractors must secure a hauling permit from the City Environment and Natural Resources Office before removing soil and debris.
Archival also urged residents to follow evacuation instructions while authorities assess the safety of the affected area.
Cracks raise safety concerns
A landslide struck a residential compound in Kandarong Riverside on Friday amid heavy rainfall, killing two children, aged five and six, and their 60-year-old grandmother. A 38-year-old woman was rescued and brought to a hospital.
Pulangbato Barangay Captain John Barry Miñoza attributed the incident to persistent heavy rain, which he said caused the soil to give way.
Authorities have yet to establish the precise cause of the landslide through a technical assessment.
Village officials ordered families living near the landslide site to evacuate and transferred them to the barangay gym as a precaution against further soil movement.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development 7 reported on Monday, Oct. 12, that it had provided assistance to 47 affected families, or 190 individuals.
The assistance included modular tents, ready-to-eat food packs and malong. The agency said 25 families were staying in evacuation centers at the time of its report.
A landslide in Sitio Riverside in August 2023 also displaced families after heavy rains triggered soil movement. / CAV