24 dead and counting
AT LEAST 24 have already died following the weeklong rescue and retrieval operations in the different landslides which occurred in the Cordillera region during the onslaught of Typhoon Rosita last week.
Aside from the 24 deaths, Cordillera Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council have listed 24 injured and 17 missing.
Bulk of the retrieved bodies came from Natonin in Mountain Province as 16 were buried in a landslide which collapsed the building of the 2nd Engineering District Office of the Department
of Public Works and Highways at Sitio Hakrang, Barangay Banawel.
Of the 16 retreived, 14 were already identified namely Benito Longan from Harang, Banawel, Mt. Province, Joel Arevalo from Bicol, Junjun Laron of Balwarte, Agoo, La Union, Elberto Cano of San Guilermo, Isabela, Gregorio "Boyong" Castro of Baguio City John Tinmakcheg of Natonin, Mt. Province, Juanita Longan of Natonin, Mt. Province, Virginia Catet Malucay of Mankayan, Benguet, Jerry Epan of Aguinaldo, Ifugao, Reymundo Ngilin "Lemmon" of Aguinaldo, Ifugao, Coyogan Catet of Ha'rang Banawel, Mt. Province Renato Ayom of Tabuk City,Kalinga, Gary Hecyawan of Aguinaldo, Ifugao and Rogelio Alubang of Natonin, Mt. Province.
In Ifugao, seven were already listed dead while Kalinga has one.
Fourteen are still reported missing in Mountain Province, five from Kalinga, four from Ifugao and one each from Benguet and Abra.
CDRRMC meanwhile reported the road from Paracelis to Natonin have been opened to traffic while the search and retrieval groups have been divided into five sectors from Banawel, Natonin downstream to Bananao, Paracelis.
The sectors are identified as Ground Zero for Sector 1, Sector 2 at 1km distance from Ground Zero, Sector 3 at 2km distance frm Ground Zero, Sector 4 at Sitio Tuboy river and Sector 5 at Bananao, Paracelis.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development Cordillera and the Municipal Social Welfare Office
in Natonin are continuously conducting stress debriefing to the survivors and relatives of casualties, aside from interview for the financial assistance(by relatives),and distribution of relief goods to all affected families of Typhoon Rosita.