Monkayo landslide death toll rises to 11

The remains of another victim of a landslide in Monkayo, Davao de Oro were recovered yesterday, bringing the death toll to 11.

Rescuers retrieved the body of Rommel Gumatin, 45, in Barangay Mt. Diwata at 1 p.m., the Monkayo municipal government said in a post on its official Facebook page.

Gumatin and six of his relatives were attending a prayer worship at a house in Purok 19 when the ground collapsed. Four children aged one, three, nine and 10 were among the dead.

A one-year-old boy, who was thrown out of the house when the landslide occurred, survived.

The Monkayo municipal government said all the victims were accounted for.

The landslide occurred amid continuous rain caused by the shear line.

In Maragusan town, also in Davao de Oro, a miner, who has yet to be identified, died when the ground collapsed yesterday while he and his co-workers were resting in Purok Bagong Silang in Barangay Tandik.

On Friday, Ernesto Pacinio, 43, and a sevenyear-old boy were also buried in a landslide in Barangay Salaysay in Marilog district and Purok 5, Tigatto, respectively, in Davao City.

Massive flooding was reported in Davao de Oro, Davao Oriental and Davao del Norte, prompting the declaration of states of calamity.

In its latest report, the Office of Civil Defense said 70,862 families or 270,206 people in Davao region alone were affected.

At least 4,217 families or 36,000 people remain in evacuation centers while 21,870 other people are staying in other places. Search and rescue teams from the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) are helping local government units in Davao region that were affected by flooding and landslides.

“I congratulate the men and women of PRC in various areas in Davao who risked their lives to help people,” PRC chairman Richard Gordon said.

The PRC said it has provided 4,361 hot meals to 3,000 displaced families in Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental and Davao del Sur. It also set up a first aid station in Davao de Oro.

Meanwhile, damage to the agriculture sector in Davao has reached P64.07 million, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

As of 4 p.m. on Friday, the DA said 7,121 hectares of rice, corn and high-value crops and 5,737 farmers in the region were affected.