CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 30 July 2026) — Eager motorists are risking life and limb by insisting on driving through a damaged section of the San Fernando – Talaingod highway connecting the provinces of Bukidnon and Davao del Norte, ignoring warnings from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) that landslides could recur at any moment.
Engineers from the DPWH and the San Fernando municipal government are meeting Thursday to devise measures to prevent motorists from using the compromised highway, according to Jaymaica Maraguinot, public affairs officer-in-charge for DPWH Region 10.
“The risks are too high for another landslide to occur because of the frequent rains in the area,” Maraguinot said.
Noel Liande, of the San Fernando Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said motorcycle riders have been traversing the landslide-damaged section of the highway in Sitio Balacayo, Barangay Kalanganagan, between 7 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. since last weekend.
In a phone interview with MindaNews, Liande noted that authorities have received reports of cars and light trucks, alongside motorcycle riders, negotiating the damaged highway.
Maraguinot said the local DPWH district office is aware of the hazard but lacks the authority to enforce traffic closures, as the agency holds no law enforcement powers.
She reiterated that the highway remains closed to all vehicular traffic and advised motorists traveling to Davao or General Santos cities to take the alternative Maramag – Carmen – Kabacan – Digos route.
“The highway is still not intended for public use and motorists are discouraged from using it due to the continuing risks of landslides, erosions and unstable ground conditions,” Maraguinot said in a statement.
DPWH Region X has appealed to vloggers, content creators, and social media users to refrain from posting or sharing content that suggests the San Fernando – Talaingod Highway is already safe and open to the public. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)
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