ACTIVITY 3

Search and read one major account of landslide that occurred in the Philippines and
one major account of sinkhole that occurred in any part of the world. Analyze the causes and effects
of this landslide and sinkhole. Make a report of your analysis.

THE GUINSAUGON LANDSLIDE

The Guinsaugon Landslide happened in the town of St. Bernard in Southern Leyte on
February 17 2006 is considerably the worst landslide that happened in the Philippine History. Reports
on the death toll from the landslide vary from 1,126 to over 1,800. 246 of which are elementary
students, and 7 are teachers.
The tragedy was said to have commenced on a rainy day of February 4. The skies
were darkened by a prevalent weather system that caused continuous rainfall over Leyte for two
straight weeks. According to records, there were at least 10 minor mudslides that occurred before the
landslide which caused only several casualties. On the morning of February 17, The villagers heard a
thunderous, roaring sound. lt sounded like the mountain exploded. And eventually, the tragedy occured,
leaving no houses standing, killing more than half of the population of the town.
According to official reports, the Guinsaugon Landslide was triggered by a minor
earthquake (magnitude 2.6 on the Richter scale), but its effects were exacerbated by the 10-day period
of heavy rainfall. According to the DENR, Guinsaugon possessed all three major factors of a landslide:
a weak integrity of the bedrock, a steep slope, and heavy rainfall. The rocks in the area are badly
broken and fragmented, which are then prone to weathering and erosion. Constant rainfall made water
seep into the fractures of the rock mass and caused landslides.
Despite the massive scale of the search and rescue operations, very few survivors
were found. Of the 1,800 residents of Guinsagon, only 53 survivors were counted.

THE GUATEMALA CITY SINKHOLE

The 2007 Guatemala City sinkhole is a 100-metre deep sinkhole which formed in
Guatemala City in February 23 2007, due to sewage pipe ruptures. Its collapse caused the deaths of five
people, and the evacuation of over a thousand.
It was said to have been triggered by the deluge from tropical storm Agatha. But the
cavity was formed in the first place because the city—and its underground infrastructure—were built in
a region where the first few hundred meters of ground are mostly made up of a material called pumice
fill, deposited during past volcanic eruptions.
A burst sewer pipe or storm drain probably hollowed out the underground cavity that
allowed the chasm to form Natural sinkholes generally form when heavy, water-saturated soil causes
the roof of an underground limestone cavity to collapse, or when water widens a natural fracture in
limestone bedrock. But there is no limestone beneath the section of Guatemala City where the new
sinkhole appeared, at least not at the depth at which the hole formed. Recent eruptions of several
volcanoes in Guatemala covered the city in a fresh layer of volcanic ash. If this material got into the
city's pipes and drains, it may have clogged the passageways, making ruptures more likely. Heavy rains
from tropical storm Agatha may also have overloaded underground sewage or drainage pipes, leading
to a growing cavity that eventually collapsed.

ACTIVITY 4
How could we prevent loss of lives during calamities?
We could prevent loss of lives during calamities by having a mitigation plan that will
serve as our guide and indications during these calamities, such as; having thorough awareness,
gaining extensive apprehension about the situation, being alert and prepared, being predictive, and
keeping up with the warning system. As humans, there’s nothing we can do to stop and prevent the
occurrence of natural disasters. In midst of these unfortunate occasions, we are in the mercy of
nature, even with these plans, we cannot escape from it. These situations aren’t something that we
can control with our bare hands. Thus, we have no other choice but to go through it and experience
it. But that shouldn’t hinder us from planning the mitigation strategy. These calamities are just like an
opponent in a game. We have to strategize and think of the moves and actions that we should make
in order to defeat and overcome it. In that way we might prevent, and conclude losing lives.