THE local government unit of Caraga (LGU-Caraga) in Davao Oriental, through its Emergency Operations Center-Incident Management Team (EOC-IMT), halted the search and rescue operation for the two individuals who went missing after reportedly they were buried alive in a major landslide at Sitio Panlaisan, Barangay Pichon in the morning of January 30, 2024.
Based on a report by the provincial government of Davao Oriental, the 66th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, alongside the officials of the barangay had a hard time resuming the retrieval operations on January 31 due to heavy rains caused by the trough of Low-Pressure Area (LPA) affecting the province.
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO)-DavOr identified the two victims as Michael Mucalay Gambong,19, and Roger Mucalay Gambong, 27 who are both residents of the area.
P[agpaklaro] lamang nga wala pa nakasaka ang team tungod dili pa maayo ang dagan sa panahon ug aduna usab ginasubay nga protocol sa Management of Dead and Missing. Dugang konsiderasyon usab ang kalayo sa area diin ginasiguro ang safety sa responders nga mosaka. Hinuon, kanunay nga naka-standby ang Search and Retrieval Team nga morespondi (Just to [clarify], the team has not yet reached the [area] because of the bad weather and they are also following the Management of Dead and Missing protocol. The distance to the area should also be given a consideration to ensure the safety of the responders. However, the Search and Retrieval Team is always on standby for rescue) LGU-Caraga said in its statement.
Meanwhile, according to Coast Guard District Southeastern Mindanao (CSGDSM) Chief of Staff Commander Angela Tobias, their unit in Davao Oriental will also be helping in the search operation to swiftly retrieve the dead bodies.
As of press writing the Municipal Health Office (MHO) and the Municipal Social Welfare Development Office (MSWDO) are currently in coordination with the victims' families for further medical and financial assistance.
The LGU-Caraga has now reported that at least hundreds of individuals across 17 barangays are affected by the calamity.
The PDRRMO-DavOr has now placed its entire jurisdiction under a Heavy Rainfall Red Warning Level following reports of heavy rainfall, flooding, and landslides in several municipalities of the province. DEF