3 bodies recovered; 13 miners still missing in Benguet landslide

(Updated 4:18 p.m.) Two more bodies have been pulled out from the miners' shanties swept by a landslide in Mankayan, Benguet during the onslaught of Typhoon Ineng (International name Goni) on Saturday morning.

 

Senior Inspector Joyce Ann Dayag, spokesperson of the Benguet Provincial Police Office, said the body of Felimon Adcapan was retrieved at 10 a.m. Sunday. The body of Armando Dayao was recovered at around 10:40 a.m.

 

Dayag, meanwhile, reported that two miners earlier reported as among the missing have been confirmed alive. She said the two miners -- Jonie Foster and Marpety Bayagen (reported as Marpety B. Tumalban earlier) -- left their shanties and went home before the landslide took place in Barangay Taneg at around 9 a.m. on Saturday.

 

The initial reported number of missing persons was 18. Rescue and retrieval teams first recovered the body of Crispin Ablao.

 

The police spokesperson said only 13 miners remained missing. They were identified as:

 

Ronaldo Angel

Paulita Angel

Ronald paul Angel

Jasper Olivarez

Crisanto B. Ablao

Nardo Mocnangan

Marvin C. Baturi

Harold C. Baturi

Rocky Mangrubang

John Aluyan Jr

Jose Aluyan

Mark Balicdan

Efren Balicdan

 

Rescue and retrieval operations continue.

 

The confirmation of the two miners' deaths increased to 11 the number of people confirmed killed in landslides that took place in Benguet at the height of the typhoon.

 

On Saturday afternoon, Benguet Governor Nestor Fongwan told GMA News Online that they were checking reports that shanties being temporarily used by miners in one of the barangays in Mankayan town were swept by a landslide.

 

Dayag said that the area hit by the landslide was being occupied by pocket miners. She said at least seven shanties were buried by the landslide.

 

The eight other fatalities from other landslides in Benguet were Jorie Bellano Catubig, 1; Noli Galidan, 21; Nova Mae Tuazon, 17; Glen Baldasan Poloc, 27; Michael Martin Lagasan, 59; Mark Celo, 21; Erwin Celo, 26 and Michael Felix, 58.

 

NDRRMC report

 

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Executive Director Alexander Pama earlier reported during a briefing with Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin that only three persons have been reported missing.

 

They were identified as Jay-Ar Mallari, 24, from Solsona, Ilocos Norte; Jubert Bumatay, 21, from Naguillan, La Union; and Francis Castro, 17 from Cagayan.

 

Pama also reported that 10 people have been confirmed killed by the NDRRMC.

 

The actual NDRRMC report released Sunday afternoon already included the eight fatalities earlier identified by Fongwan.

 

The two other fatalities were Ycher Mayon, 10, who also died in a landslide in Barangay Namatec, Sabangan, Mt. Province and Herminio Taguyo Jr., 47, who died after being hit by a fallen mango tree in Pinili, Ilocos Norte.

 

The NDRRMC report said a total of 7,470 families or 32,648 individuals were evacuated in Ilocos region, Cagayan valley, Calabarzon and Cordillera Administrative Region.

 

Of the said number of families, 3,327 were staying in evacuation center.

 

The agency also reported that a total of 197 houses were damaged by the typhoon.

 

It added that 36 roads and six bridges in Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Cordillera Administrative Region were impassable due to landslides and flashfloods.

 

Weather bureau PAGASA said in its 11 a.m. bulletin that Ineng has maintained its strength as it continues to pull away from the country.

 

The typhoon was expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Sunday night or Monday morning.

 

The weather bureau said Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will continue to experience rains due to the enhanced southwest monsoon. —ALG, GMA News