Landslides threaten the people living in the Cordillera region, in cities like Baguio and the smaller towns of La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba, and Tublay (referred to as BLISTT) due to the area’s high altitude.
Three institutions in the Cordillera are working with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to determine a way to predict when landslides will happen. This reduces the number of people who might die in rain-related disasters.
The three universities were the University of Baguio, the University of the Philippines-Baguio, and the University of the Cordilleras, all located in Baguio.
Initially, the project was supposed to cover the whole Cordillera region, but a lack of money has forced it to focus on a smaller area.
Dr. Nancy Bantog, director of the DOST’s Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), announced the project during a press conference, stating that it will cost ₱38.7 million and be titled “Modelling and Understanding Landslide Events (MULAT)-BLISTT.” Notably, she detailed how the system is localized for use by families after first establishing a database, inventory map, susceptibility map, and risk map concerning landslides and high rains.
The development system includes a ₱5.5 million landslide knowledge and management center for creating information materials on landslide science, management, and mitigation, as well as expanding knowledge and awareness among stakeholders on the harms involved in landslides as well as the appropriate responses should the issue arise.
