THE municipality of Itogon in Benguet Province has started preparations for Tropical Depression Paeng (Trami), which is expected to affect ongoing search, rescue and retrieval operations at the landslide-hit level 070 in Barangay Ucab.
Based on the latest weather forecast of Pagasa, Paeng will follow the track of Ompong with a similar radius and is expected to have a 150-millimeter rainfall in the region.
On the seventh day of rescue and retrieval operations, eight more bodies were recovered Saturday, September 22, at the site, bringing the death toll to 56 and the missing to 42 in Itogon alone.
Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs Secretary Francis Tolentino, who led the Cordillera Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, stressed the need to prepare.
“Although the rescue and retrieval operations are still ongoing until we would have recovered everyone, a temporary halt in the operation will be followed to ensure the safety of the responders,” he said.
At present, four backhoes are on site to augment the relentless rescue and retrieval operations at level 070 as the Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police Cordillera were recalled to their barracks.
Tolentino has given a two-day ultimatum (Sunday and Monday) to search for possible survivors inside mining portals giving credence to reports received by Office of the Civil Defense Cordillera director Ruben Carandang about miners who might have sought refuge during the onslaught of Typhoon Ompong last week.
“After gathering various information form members of the council on when to change the status of operations here at ground zero, we are giving it at least two more days of rescue operations status before we declare it to be retrieval operations. Once the backhoes would have reached the portal all the way to the tunnels, then we will know if there would be indicators of possible survivors,” Tolentino said.
On Saturday, Tolentino only allowed rescue operatives, equipment and supplies to go down to the level 070 site to protect the integrity of the geo-hazard area.
He ordered the police to deny entry to people and vehicles traversing the road to avoid adding weight to the already damaged road network which started to erode since the onslaught of the Typhoon.
Meanwhile, the number of rescuers at level 070, Barangay Ucab in Itogon, Benguet will be decreased in a bid to keep first responders safe.
Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said rescuers will be limited to 60 to 90 individuals as opposed to the almost 1,000-man team in the past days.
In a press briefing last week, Palangdan said the move is for the safety of rescuers as the Mines and Geosciences Bureau is tasked to regulate operations as cracks in the area are being studied.
Sitio Luneta in Barangay Loacan and Sitio First Gate in Barangay Ucab in Itogon were declared as hazardous areas as the geo-hazard map indicate possible landslide may still occur.
Meanwhile, evacuees were given an ultimatum to leave the Alejo M Pacalso Memorial National High School as classes will resume on September 25.
“Families are looking for boarding houses outside the area where the MGB stated as hazardous,” said Department of Social Welfare and Development regional director Janet Armas.
Of 506 families, 49 families said they will go back to their provinces while 51 sought relocation, six remained undecided, 22 sought sources of livelihood, 10 said they need educational assistance, another 10 sought employment and four asked for housing assistance. (With Lauren Alimondo)