AT LEAST 24 bodies have been retrieved over the past week from various sites of landslides across the Cordillera region in the aftermath of Typhoon Rosita (international name Yutu), which struck northern Luzon on October 31.
Of the 24, 16 were recovered from Natonin in Mountain Province, where a landslide buried and led to the collapse of the building of the 2nd Engineering District Office of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Sitio Ha’rang, Barangay Banawel.
Of the 16 retreived, 14 have been identified, namely, Benito Longan from Harang, Banawel, Mt. Province, Joel Arevalo from Bicol, Junjun Laron of Balwarte, Agoo, La Union, Elberto Cano of San Guilermo, Isabela, Gregorio "Boyong" Castro of Baguio City John Tinmakcheg of Natonin, Mt. Province, Juanita Longan of Natonin, Mt. Province, Virginia Catet Malucay of Mankayan, Benguet, Jerry Epan of Aguinaldo, Ifugao, Reymundo Ngilin "Lemmon" of Aguinaldo, Ifugao, Coyogan Catet of Ha'rang Banawel, Mt. Province Renato Ayom of Tabuk City,Kalinga, Gary Hecyawan of Aguinaldo, Ifugao and Rogelio Alubang of Natonin, Mt. Province.
In Ifugao, seven fatalities were listed. One death was logged in Kalinga.
The Cordillera Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council also listed 24 injured and at least 17 missing.
Reports from the provinces listed more missing persons: 14 in Mountain Province, five in Kalinga, four from Ifugao and one each from Benguet and Abra.
CDRRMC, meanwhile, reported that the road from Paracelis to Natonin has been opened to traffic while the search and retrieval groups have been divided into five sectors from Banawel, Natonin downstream to Bananao, Paracelis.
The sectors are identified as Ground Zero for Sector 1, Sector 2 at 1-kilometer distance from Ground Zero, Sector 3 at 2-km distance from Ground Zero, Sector 4 at Sitio Tuboy river and Sector 5 at Bananao, Paracelis.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development Cordillera and the Municipal Social Welfare Office in Natonin are continuously conducting stress debriefing among the survivors and relatives of casualties.
Relatives of the casualties also received financial assistance while all typhoon-affected families received relief goods.