Landslides destroy road in South Cotabato’s coal mining area
KORONADAL CITY—A portion of the national highway in remote Barangay Ned in Lake Sebu, where coal mining operations are underway, remained impassable to all types of vehicles after it was destroyed by landslides, officials said on Sunday.
Allan Ikan Alam, village chair of Ned, said heavy rains triggered the landslides that damaged a section of the concrete road in Sitio El Dulog, cutting off vehicular traffic in the area since Feb. 13.
He said the collapsed portion of the road is “about 150 meters from” where heavy hauler trucks loaded with coal begin their trip to the port in Maitum, Sarangani, where the coal is shipped out.
“The damaged road is very near the coal mining site, which is just below the portion of the road destroyed by the landslides,” he said in a phone interview on Sunday.
Coal mining operations have been ongoing in Barangay Ned for the past three years. Coal operating contracts were awarded by the Department of Energy to Daguma Agro Minerals Inc. (Dami), Sultan Energy Philippines Corp. (SEPC) and Bonanza Energy Resources Inc. (Beri).
San Miguel Corp. acquired the three companies in 2010. However, in separate disclosures to the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2024, it revealed the sale of Dami, SEPC and Beri to an undisclosed third party.
Detour
Alam said vehicles traveling to the Ned barangay hall from the lowlands of South Cotabato now need to pass through Barangay Gapok, in the town of Senator Ninoy Aquino, Sultan Kudarat province.
Before the landslide damaged the national highway in El Dulog, the Ned barangay hall could be reached via roads from the towns of Lake Sebu and Sto. Niño.
As of 9 a.m. on Sunday, the damaged road remained impassable to all vehicles, Alam said.
Residents have opened a new alternate road near the damaged highway, but it is passable only to motorcycles, he added.
The village chief said the alternate route is difficult to navigate due to its steep terrain.
The Department of Public Works and Highways earlier issued an advisory on Feb. 13 stating that a portion of the national highway in Sitio El Dulog had been rendered impassable after a landslide caused significant damage to the cemented roadway.
Familes affected
Rolly Doane Aquino, chief of the South Cotabato Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said six families were affected by the landslide.
“Barangay Ned is known for its ongoing coal mining operations. Experts note that the presence of coal may have contributed to the landslide, as it can increase soil instability,” he said in a statement posted on Facebook.
In a 2019 assessment, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB)-Soccsksargen reported that portions of Barangay Ned were prone to landslides and tension cracks.
Tension cracks, which form when part of a slope shears off due to underlying instability, have long been an issue in the area.
Aquino said they would request MGB-Soccsksargen officials to visit Barangay Ned for further assessment and to explain the soil instability in the area.
