San Remigio on Edge: Sinkholes Spread Across Town After 6.9-Magnitude Earthquake
SINKHOLES – What began as a natural disaster has now revealed an even greater danger—sinkholes, with more than 100 already discovered in San Remigio and many feared to be undiscovered.
Over a hundred sinkholes have been discovered in San Remigio, northern Cebu, following the recent 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck the region, Mayor Mariano Martinez confirmed.
Martinez warned that more sinkholes may still be hidden underground as aftershocks continue to rattle the area. He revealed that the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) had earlier cautioned the local government about the presence of multiple sinkholes in the town.
“Actually few weeks ago niari ang Phivolcs, ni briefing sila namo, and according to their assessment, that we have over a hundred sinkholes diri sa among lungsod. I don’t know why, I was even surprised nga kadaghan ba,” Martinez said in an interview with CDN Digital on October 4.
“But karon, after the earthquake, we discovered them. Daghan ni pop up sa among lungsod. I’m positive naa pay daghan nga wala pa makit-e,” he added.
At least 15 sinkholes of varying sizes have been confirmed in Sitio Sansan, Barangay Maño, with others detected near Poblacion. Martinez said this indicates that the phenomenon is not isolated and could be widespread across San Remigio.
Many of these sinkholes reportedly appeared after the September 30 quake, whose epicenter was traced near Bogo City. Residents near affected areas have already started leaving their homes due to safety concerns.
“For now, we are informing the people about the sinkholes, and some people close to a sinkhole are evacuating,” Martinez explained. “Ang uban murag safe pa, pero dapat dili gyud magpabilin duol. Ang mga duol gyud kato sila ang nag-evacuate kay nakuyawan man.”
Currently, more than a thousand evacuees are staying in open fields. The mayor said locals are avoiding covered courts or buildings out of fear of aftershocks.
“Before naa man gyud mi evacuation centers like covered courts, pero karon nobody wants to go into buildings kay kuyawan man… There are people in tents in our open field. And there are plans to come up with a tent city with the help of the national government,” he added.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is expected to assess possible locations for a planned tent city, similar to post-disaster shelters built after Typhoon Yolanda.
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