Retrieval ops continue at Natonin landslide site

NATONIN, Mountain Province – Recovery operations continue for the 18 individuals still missing following a massive landslide at the height of Typhoon “Rosita” here last week.

As of Saturday November 3, a total of 12 bodies have been retrieved at ground zero in Sitio Ha'rang in Barangay Banawel, this town.

Recovered were the remains of Benito Longan, Joel Arevalo, Junjun Laron, Bert Canon, Gregorio Castro, John Temacheg, Juanita Longan, Virginia Catet, Jerry Epan, Raymundo Ngilin and two unidentified individuals.

On Thursday, Natonin Mayor Mateo Chiyawan declared the shift from rescue to retrieval operations for the remains of the locals who sought refuge at the concrete building of the Department of Public Works and Highways which was totally buried by a landslide last October 30.

Around 200 search and rescue personnel and volunteers, aided by K9 units and heavy equipment used to remove the tons of debris are part of the operations.

"It is saddening that is why I immediately came over. I felt I needed to be here to help our people especially in coordinating their needs and boosting their morale that we in government will help," said former Natonin mayor Marie Rafael Banaag, currently the Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs of the Presidential Communications Operations Office, who walked for 4 hours to ground zero.