La trinidad: The municipal government of La Trinidad, Benguet, has ordered preemptive or forced evacuations in high- and very high-risk areas as heavy rains continue to saturate the soil and heighten the threat of landslides and flooding. Mayor Roderick Awingan issued Executive Order 148-2026 on Sept. 3, citing unprecedented rainfall in the municipality.
According to Philippines News Agency, La Trinidad recorded 2,868.7 millimeters (113 inches) of rain in August, nearly three times the normal monthly rainfall, and another 233.5 mm (9.2 inches) from Sept. 1 to 2, according to the order. Awingan emphasized that public safety is not solely the responsibility of the government and urged residents to report unusual incidents and seek assessment or voluntary evacuation when they feel unsafe. "We encourage our residents, help us make them safe by reporting unusual incidents in their surroundings and if they feel unsafe even if the signs mentioned in the EO mandating evacuation are absent," Awingan stated in an interview.
The municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRMC) also released a landslide susceptibility map showing much of La Trinidad classified as high or very high risk. The map identifies high-risk areas as those with steep to very steep slopes, weak underlying materials, and numerous old or inactive landslides. Very high-risk areas have similar characteristics but also show recent landslides, escarpments, and tension cracks. Human activity may further aggravate the risk. Most of the municipality is marked red for high susceptibility and maroon for very high susceptibility, while smaller areas are classified as moderate or low risk.
The municipal government reported that the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has issued advisories on continuous moderate to heavy rains from the southwest monsoon, or habagat, affecting the western sections of Northern and Central Luzon, including Benguet. Forecast rainfall could be heavier in mountainous and elevated areas, while accumulated rainfall has already saturated the soil, the municipal government said, citing PAGASA advisories.
Under the executive order, the chairman of the barangay DRRM council may implement preemptive or forced evacuation in identified flood-prone areas, particularly those along riverbanks, when floodwaters are expected to reach 0.5 meter because of riverbank erosion and slope undercutting. Evacuation may also be ordered in areas with high to very high landslide susceptibility when there are signs of active slope movement. Residents are prohibited from returning to barangays or areas where landslides have occurred until authorities declare them safe for occupancy, the order stated. It also directed authorities to closely monitor roads passing through areas with high to very high landslide susceptibility.
La Trinidad recorded the region's first deaths linked to the rains on Aug. 6, when a landslide struck a restaurant, killing three people. Several other landslides have since been reported, including incidents affecting schools and threatening education infrastructure.
