GENERAL SANTOS CITY (PIA) -- Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Region 12 Supervising Geologist Vincent G. Gascal urged the public to pay attention to warnings and to be prepared for disasters like landslides.

Gascal mentioned a recent incident in San Jose, Koronadal City, where a landslide occurred following a heavy rainfall.

He said that despite previous warnings that the area is prone to landslides as a result of their assessment in 2021, the residents, according to him, did not heed the MGB's warning for them to vacate the area, believing that the dry season would not bring rain.

But Gascal pointed out that the dry season and impending El Niño contribute to soil drying, causing it to form cracks or fissures, which ultimately crumble, causing the landslide. He said that when combined with localized thunderstorms, these conditions could potentially increase the risk of a landslide.

In light of these circumstances, Gascal emphasized the utmost importance of preparedness, emphasizing that the timing of disasters remains highly unpredictable.

"Disasters do not warn us. They only happen in the most unpredictable ways," he cautioned during the Kapihan sa PIA on Wednesday, May 17. (Harlem Jude Ferolino, PIA SarGen)