Negros Oriental mayor stops retrieval operations in landslide area

GUIHULNGAN CITY, Negros Oriental–Mayor Ernesto Reyes has ordered a halt to the retrieval operations in a village here, where 18 persons were believed to have been buried by an earthquake-triggered landslide nearly two weeks ago.

Instead, a giant cross bearing the names of the victims will be set up at the landslide site in Sitio Moog, Barangay Planas to remember those lost in the tragedy, said Reyes.

On Thursday, Reyes sat down with residents of Moog to inform them about his decision to end the retrieval operations on Friday because incessant rains and recurrent aftershocks have rendered the disaster area unsafe.

Also present at the dialog were Planas Barangay Captain Bienvenido Bautista Jr., Minda Morante, director of the Office of the Civil Defense in Central Visayas (Region 7) and Insp. Bernardo del Mar of the Bureau of Fire Protection in Central Visayas (BFP-7).

Morante and Del Mar explained to the locals that continuing the operation would endanger the lives of retrieval team members, including soldiers and civic volunteers.

He also warned the residents against returning to the landslide-stricken area especially since aftershocks, according to experts, were expected to continue for a month although these would not be as strong as the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck parts of Central and Western Visayas on Feb. 6.

After the dialog, the officials joined the residents and families of victims for a Mass dedicated to those who died in the tragedy.

Rufina Garcia, who lost her seven-year-old son Darwin in the disaster, was emotional during the Mass.

“There is nothing I can do if they have decided to stop the retrieval operations. I understand the risks. Putting up a cross in the landslide area would remind me of my son,” Garcia said in Cebuano.

In his homily, Fr. Raul Ingan called on the residents to unite and not to lose their faith.

“The Feb. 6 earthquake was a test of faith. Gold is tested by fire. Physically, we were shaken but our faith should remain,” the priest said.

Life has slowly returned to normal as work resumed at the Guihulngan City Hall.

The first order of the day was to prepare the payroll for about 100 regular employees and over 300 casuals.

The mayor also released P10,000 for each of the  victims’ families.

And like the city hall building, the Guihulngan public market opened for business and has been declared safe by the city engineer.