Remains of suspected Yolanda victim found four years later

Two days before the fourth anniversary of Typhoon Yolanda, residents of Barangay Bagacay in Tacloban City found the skeletal remains of what is believed to be a victim of the super typhoon.

Because of this, Brando Bernadas, head of Tacloban City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), said it is likely that more remains will be found in the future.

"Until now, we have still opened our counting dahil alam namin marami pa kaming makikita," Bernadas said in a report by GMA News' Ivan Mayrina on 24 Oras on Wednesday.

The Tacloban CDRRMO said 2,917 people died when the typhoon hit the city and many other areas in the Visayas on November 8, 2013. Most of the bodies were found in Barangay Anibong.

"Dito kami nahirapan kunin 'yung mga patay dahil naipit. Naipit ng container van, naipit ng barko. It was very much horrible na makita namin the day after na, dito, 'yung tao, na halos hindi na sila makagalaw," Bernadas said, recalling early rescue operations.

"Hindi na nila hinanap 'yung properties nila. Hinahanap nila, mahal sa buhay."

Most of the dead were buried in a mass grave at the Holy Cross Memorial Gardens, most of them unidentified.

Barangay Anibong was also where Yolanda pushed to the ground the thousand-ton cargo vessel M/V Eva Jocelyn, which virtually flattened the coastal community. It now stands as a monument to remember the victims by.

Tacloban is one of the 171 cities and municipalities in 14 provinces severely affected by Yolanda.

On Wednesday, Masses were celebrated at the mass grave and at the Tacloban Astrodome to commemorate the tragedy. —Margaret Claire Layug/KBK, GMA News