Landslides in the Philippines: Geo-Physical Controls, Triggers and Examples

The first step to reducing risk and increasing resilience to natural disaster is the identification and assessment of the hazards that an area and its population is exposed to. Such an assessment requires an understanding of the factors that determine the occurrence of the hazard under consideration. This paper presents the geological and physical parameters that control the occurrence and the usual triggers of landslides in the Philippines mainly based on the author’s several years of experience in landslide investigation in the country. Where applicable and/or necessary, some specific examples are given for more clarity. Finally, the case of Cherry Hills Landslide is presented to illustrate how these different factors can interplay to cause landslide. It is deemed that this paper could contribute to understanding slope processes and serve as a guide in the assessment of landslide hazard.