BATAAN, Philippines – Heavy rain triggered a landslide at a slope protection site on Zigzag Road in Mariveles, Bataan, on August 27 injuring a worker and forcing traffic disruptions as the persistent rainfall has softened the soil and compromised the stability of the area.
Site engineer Warren Baldeo said seven workers were present at the site when the landslide occurred. “We were scheduled to move the soil that day according to the project plan, but the rains caused the landslide before we could complete the work,” Baldeo said.
A worker named Edwin was injured when the structure collapsed while they were laying and connecting steel foundations. He was injured in the foot but has since returned to work.
Because of the incident, the Mariveles municipal government has restricted vehicle traffic along Zigzag Road to light vehicles only. Class 2 and larger vehicles, such as buses and jeepneys, were redirected to the Agwawan By-Pass Road.
However, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has also prohibited trucks from using the Agwawan By-Pass Road during peak hours — 5-9 am and 4-7 pm.
Zigzag Road is a vital route for both commuter and cargo traffic connecting Mariveles to nearby municipalities. The traffic situation remains challenging because of limited vehicle access.
Traffic has also worsened along the alternative route because of ongoing road repairs in the area, resulting in longer commuting time.
“Time-consuming kasi syempre ‘yung alternate na daan dito is ginagawa or sira-sira and one-way. Imbes na 1 hour bago mag-class, nagiging 3 hours na,” Bryan Jay Barrientos, a college student said.
(This is time-consuming. The alternate route is either under construction or in disrepair, and there the roads have only one-way traffic. It now takes me 3 hours to go to school. It used to be just an hour. )
The slope protection construction is scheduled to be completed by the end of September. – Rappler.com
Aya Ranas is an Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow.