A RITUAL will be led by the family of barangay secretary Luvina Kidkid and barangay officials in Barangay Bedbed, Mankayan in Benguet to appease the soul of Kikdid who was buried in a landslide last month.

Mayor Materno Luspian said Kidkid’s family and barangay officials will conduct a ritual called ‘Pakde’ to appease the unseen and the Supreme Being. It is a community ritual performed by a family or a group of families clustered in an area.

“It’s a ritual for the whole household affected by that tragedy, they will contribute among themselves certain amount of money to buy the pig to be sacrificed to stop that kind of tragedy from happening again,” the mayor said.

Luspian added the Kidkid’s family sought to continue the retrieval of the barangay official who was buried in a landslide caused by the continuous southwest monsoon rain but the mayor said they have to observe safety.

Investigation showed the barangay official was conducting clean-up operations in the footpath when the landslide occurred. Her co-workers were able to escape however the official was buried.

Rescuers from the different local government units, barangay officials, volunteers and private organizations worked during the search, rescue and retrieval operations. However, after weeks, the local government declared to halt the retrieval.

From July 17 to August 27, at least 103 landslides and 14 road slips in Benguet were recorded by Provincial Risk Reduction Management Office including five deaths, eight injured and one still missing in Mankayan brought about by ‘Habagat.’