Death toll in Davao landslide rises to 10

RETRIEVAL Rescuers carry the remains of one of the victims of a landslide at Barangay Mt. Diwata in Monkayo, Davao de Oro, as search and retrieval operations continue on Friday. —PHOTO COURTESY OF MONKAYO MDRRMO

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Rescuers braved the continuing downpour on Friday to search for those missing in a landslide at Mt. Diwata village in Monkayo, Davao de Oro province.

As of 3 p.m. Friday, the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) of Monkayo counted three more bodies unearthed from the huge pile of mud and rocks that slid from the mountain amid heavy rains in the past three days brought about by a shear line (convergence of cold and warm winds) that has left a trail of destruction in Mindanao’s eastern seaboard.

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According to Rocris Idul, officer in charge of the Monkayo MDRRMO, they were only searching for Rommel Gumatin, 45, head of the family that hosted a prayer meeting in one of the houses hit by the landslide on Thursday.

Idul said that based on the information relayed by officials of Mt. Diwata village, there was a total of 14 people inside the Gumatin house when it was swept away and buried by mud and rocks on Thursday afternoon.

Of the 14, three were injured —Dexter Cruda, 49; Bernadeth Cruda, 51; and Amara Kate Delola, a 1-year-old baby who is in critical condition at the Davao Regional Medical Center in Tagum City.

The 10 others whose remains were retrieved from the site were Catherine, 27; Hannah, 9; Dysna, 3; Arjay, 1; Cristelle, 10; and Ailee, 8, all surnamed Gumatin; and Marjomie Nenaria, 33; Agnes Bitoon, 44; Elvera Saldua, 35; and Ritchell Reboldad, 35.

Rommel is the father while Catherine is the mother of the five children who all perished in the tragedy.

Monkayo Mayor Manuel Zamora said the Gumatin family and their visitors that day belonged to the Christian sect Assembly of God. The wake for the eight fatalities is held at their chapel in nearby Barangay Union.

Mt. Diwata village chief Elie Zamora said he was grateful for the “heroic efforts” of rescuers from the police, Army, Bureau of Fire Protection, MDRRMO and local volunteers amid the dangers and harsh condition they had to face.Infra damage

As of Friday afternoon, the Davao de Oro provincial government said more than 4,500 families had been provided immediate aid, but more could have been affected as social workers continue to assist displaced families.

Continuing heavy rains on Thursday damaged public infrastructure in nearby Davao Oriental province with a bridge along the national highway at Barangay San Roque in New Bataan town rendered impassable as its approach was destroyed by floodwaters.

A temporary wooden bridge was built there to allow people to cross. Other bridges in interior villages in Davao Oriental were also reported to have been damaged, limiting the flow of vehicles carrying goods and people.

On Friday, Gov. Niño Uy sent clearing teams to different areas in the province to ensure that its localities, especially the remote communities, are accessible so aid can be effectively delivered to residents affected by floods and landslides.

In Davao City, two persons, one of them a 7-year-old boy, died while five others were hurt in two separate landslide incidents on Thursday night after the soil in these areas loosened up after the prolonged rains.

According to a report by the Davao City police, a total of 252 families (1,029 people) fled their homes and sought refuge in 98 evacuation centers in the city at the height of flooding and landslides on Thursday night.

TEMPORARY SHELTER Families from Jade Valley and Juliville Subdivisions at Barangay Tigatto in Davao City seek temporary shelter in a covered court in the village after floodwaters swamped their homes on Thursday night. —JOSELLE R. BADILLA

State of calamity

In Agusan del Sur, the local government of Veruela had placed the town under state of calamity as 12 of its 20 villages are still submerged in floodwaters after four days of continued rains.

Veruela MDRRMO Chief Clyde Bonita said floodwaters began engulfing low-lying villages on Monday night as the Agusan River overflowed. The rains that battered Davao de Oro in the succeeding days further contributed to the flooding as these drain into the town through the Agusan River.

With vehicles unable to navigate through the rising waters, rescuers and relief workers use motorized banca to deliver aid.

“This is the worst flooding we’ve experienced in a decade,” Bonita told the Inquirer.

A state of calamity was also declared in two more towns in Agusan del Sur and another in Davao del Norte as the number of people affected by the landslides and flooding in Mindanao climbed to over 270,000, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said on Friday.

Data from the OCD showed that 270,206 people (70, 862 families) have been affected by the heavy rains caused by the shear line since Tuesday.

The OCD said 14,921 people (4,217 families) have been staying in evacuation centers in the Davao Region.

Flooding and landslides were also reported in the provinces of Surigao del Sur and Davao del Norte. —WITH REPORTS FROM CHRIS PANGANIBAN, GERMELINA LACORTE AND NESTOR CORRALES