A LANDSLIDE caused by incessant rain the past two days led to the death of a 62-year old male, while three others are still being retrieved at Barangay Don Salvador Lopez in Mati City, Davao Oriental Wednesday, December 28.
In a press release from the Mati City Information Office, the landslide happened around 11 a.m. at Purok Sangay.
The Mati City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office said that residents in the area claimed that four people were buried by the landslide — a family of three on a motorbike passing by the area and a resident fishing near a creek.
The landslide resulted in the isolation of 7 puroks namely Puroks. Upper Cangusan, Lower Cangusan Proper Cangusan Tabon- tabon, New Camotes, Sta. Cruz and Biasong.
At 5:38 p.m. rescue operatives retrieved the body of Cristituto Magmusa Paglanson, a purok president of Purok Sangay where the landslide occurred.
The rescuers are still looking for three landslide victims identified as Jethro Paglanson Quilat, 14 years old; Roberto Pelaez Ampo, 52; and John Gel Paglanson Casaligan, 15.
A total of 86 personnel composed of rescuers, police, military, and medical teams reported on Thursday, December 29, according to Mati Information Officer Ben Tesiorna in an interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio.
“As usual, expected na wala nay kinabuhi. Retrieval operation na, dili na siya (we are already expecting that the three would be lifeless already. So we are now conducting a retrieval operation, not a) rescue operation,” Tesiorna said.
The official said that they had already identified areas declared as “danger zone”.
“Ato ginapaningkamutan na (We are exerting efforts to ensure that) as much as possible, wala na unta magpuyo diha, pero dili nato kalikayan ang disgrasya tungod sa sige ulan. Climate change na gyud ni siya (people won’t be residing in these areas, but we can’t prevent calamities and disasters from happening during rains. This is already climate change),” Tesiorna said. RGL