9 out of 11 Natonin barangays still isolated due to landslide

A week had passed since Typhoon Rosita ravaged Northern Luzon, but most of the barangays in the lanslide-hit town of Natonin, Mountain Province remained isolated.

In an update on GMA News TV program "State of the Nation with Jessica Soho" late Tuesday evening, James Agustin reported that nine out of the town's 11 barangays had yet to be cleared by authorities.

These include areas along the collapsed National Road where up to 50 landslides had occurred.

As authorities said it could take up to two more weeks until the road is made passable, several residents took the risk of walking to their respective homes.

Among them was an elderly woman, Asuncion Chowan, who trekked for three hours while balancing a heavy sack of rice on her head.

"Walang sasakyan, kasi may slide maraming slide," she said.

Janet Liwan Ambas, who had her two-year-old son in her arms said: "Lumaki na po kami rito kaya sanay na po kami."

Ongoing search, rescue and retrieval operations have so far resulted in the recovery 18 bodies from landslide-hit areas.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau - Cordillera Adminstrative Region (MGB-CAR) reiterated that they have assessed since 2012 that almost all areas in Natonin were "landslide-prone."

According to Benigno Espejo, the chief MGB-CAR's Geology division, "Definitely, we expect kasi nga makikita natin sa mapa na talaga is almost 90 percent ang area."

"We expect na mangyayaring landslide doon," he added. — LDF, GMA News