Landslide-hit Naga, Cebu seeks nat'l government help in search and rescue ops

Naga City, Cebu Mayor Kristine Vanessa Chiong on Friday said she has asked the council to place the city under state of calamity amid rescue efforts at the landslide-hit areas of Barangay Naalad and Sitio Sindulan in Barangay Tinaan.

"I already requested the Sangguniang Panglunsod to declare a state of calamity," she said at a press briefing. "We have suspended all classes in the city of Naga."

Chiong added that they will request through a resolution  for additional resources from the national government.

She said they will ask the government to "augment the resources of the city government in terms of the search and rescue operations and the establishment of the evacuation centers."

As of the time of the briefing, Chiong said 21 bodies have been recovered from the rubble while 67 remained missing.

Eight survivors uncovered from the 51 homes destroyed by the landslide were found in good health.

A total of 275 families were evacuated to seven evacuation centers at nearby areas.

Baltz Tribunalo of the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said they are working very closely with uniformed personnel for all rescue efforts. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News