Almajeda, Gambong, Holland, OrtizProblem Statement”Build, build, build” program was initiated by Rodrigo Duterte upon his appointment as President of the Republic of the Philippines which contributed in the increase of Davao Region’s economic growth.
According to the President’s spokesman, Harry Roque, amongst the regions in the Philippines, Davao Region placed second as the fastest developing economy, which increased by 10.9% in 2017. 19.1% industry growth was also recorded headed by the expansion of the construction industry with 38.
2% and manufacturing with 11.4%. Davao City is known as the regional center of the region.
According to the statement done by Finance Secretary, Carlos G. Dominguez III, in a speech at the Philippine Economic Briefing, Mindanao will be the spear point of our rapid economic growth as it has the headroom, talent and the natural resources to perform that role. Thus, future developments are anticipated particularly in the city as National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) director Maria Lourdes Lim accounts that the 2018 goal is within the range of 9.2%-10.2%, 9.3%-10.3% and 9.
8%-10.8% in 2019 and 2020, respectively.Buhangin is one of the greatest backers in the economic growth of Davao City. Given the facts that supports Buhangin’s contribution, it is just right to provide a detailed map that will represent the soil properties present in the area through an accurate soil assessment and mapping. Soil assessment involves soil survey data and interpretations, which are ample source for research efforts. These interpretations are important for the identifications of soils with desired characteristics for specific projects and to assess site suitability and limitations for researches particularly in construction (P.
J. Lawrence, 2005).The issue here is the lack of soil map in the focused area would mean continued problems regarding land use mismatch, soil quality, and building construction issues. Absence of soil overview leads to land use mismatch which refer to the usage of a site for a purpose that is not compatible to its soil properties. From here, biodiversity loss occurs particularly when land intended for watersheds and agricultural purposes are mistakenly used for infrastructure developments such as residential, commercial, industrial and the like. This affects the quality of the infrastructure built and the soil itself. However, soil quality can still be controlled and improved by humans through a preempt assessment like soil map that presents the common soil properties of the area and applying such knowledge to address soil quality problems.
These soils can be inspected with the conventional soil survey methods available and applied properly in the urban setting along with various approaches to guarantee a clear understanding on the soils function especially in building construction (C.R. De Kimpe ; J.L. Morel, 2000).
Soils can make or break construction projects, which is why engineers investigate soil properties to know whether such type of soil can accommodate the designed weight of the building (Smithsonian Institution, n.d.). These structures are supported by different types of foundation which relies on the strength capabilities of the soil.
Erecting buildings on the wrong type of soil or an unstable one would lead to foundations that crack, dams that break, and buildings that collapse. Hence, the soil mapping is a credible basis for choosing the appropriate foundations for certain type of buildings and mitigating the common issue in other structures.Therefore, this study aims to mitigate the current problems on insufficient data regarding soil assessment and mapping. From the discussions made, disadvantages of the absence of a soil map will continue to occur in Buhangin Proper, Davao City as to the neighboring areas.
