Rescuers at a landslide site in Maco, Davao de Oro province reportedly made a grim discovery of 67 human remains and four body parts, the local municipal government said on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas seeks a congressional inquiry into the devastating landslide in Barangay Masara, Maco, Davao De Oro, which claimed the lives of at least 54 miners and residents while 63 others remain missing.
Deputy Majority Leader Erwin Tulfo, Davao de Oro Rep. Ruwel Peter Gonzaga, ACT-CIS partylist Reps. Edvic Yap and Jocelyn Tulfo, Benguet Rep. Eric Yap, and Quezon City Rep. Ralph Tulfo later filed House Resolution 1586 asking Congress to conduct an inquiry on the tragic incident despite the “no build zone” implemented in the area.
This developed as the Armed Forces of the Philippines announced that two United States Marine Corps “Hercules” cargo planes delivered 4,800 family food packs to Davao de Oro for distribution to the landslide victims.
For her part, Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga wants to partner with local executives to integrate the use of hazard maps in decision-making to avert disasters and safeguard lives and livelihoods.
“We have a total of 71 retrieved bodies and body parts. So 17 were unidentified,” said Leah Añora of the management of the dead and the missing cluster.
“So we have 67 complete bodies. We have four body parts,” she added.
Añora said rescuers were still looking for 47 more missing villagers.
The authorities on Monday said that 68 people have been confirmed dead in the landslides.
On Feb. 6, the landslide caused by inclement weather hit around four barangays, burying some houses, a barangay hall, and a bus company terminal.
Several of those who perished were passengers of two buses that were buried in the landslide.
The buses were reportedly loaded with employees of a mining company who were going home after their day’s work when tragedy struck.
A total of 6,356 people or 1,637 families were staying in 13 evacuation centers due to the landslide, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Tuesday.
Provincial officials are currently searching for acceptable areas for the temporary and permanent relocation sites of the displaced residents.
Thus far, assistance worth over P818 million has been provided to the victims, according to the NDRRMC.
Brosas of the Gabriela party-list group filed House Resolution 1587 calling for a legislative inquiry into the Maco disaster to determine the real cause of the killer landslide. She also cast doubts on the claims of some government officials that the landslides were triggered by heavy rains.
She said that the mining operations going on in the area may have triggered the landslide or at least contributed to the weakening of the soil that caused the disaster following heavy rains.
“Environmental advocates oppose large-scale and open pit mining operations due to their destructive, lasting impact on our communities,” she said.
Brosas said “mining has delivered paltry gains for the past years and has no significant contribution even to employment.”
During his term, former President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order (EO)130 lifting the nine-year ban on new mining agreements, resulting in an increase in mining activities, with Apex Mining Co. being one of the large-scale mining companies permitted to operate in Mindanao.
“The government must, at the very least, suspend, if not entirely ban, all large-scale mining operations in the country,” Brosas said.
“With the monsoon season nearly upon us, it is imperative that we take action to prevent incidents like the one in Davao de Oro from occurring in other areas,” she added.
Meanwhile, AFP public affairs office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad, in a statement said the relief packs were from the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
“The goods were delivered in two sorties each and will be vital in providing aid to residents affected by recent flooding and landslides in the Davao and Caraga regions,” he added.
Trinidad said 12 sorties are planned for the two US Marine Corps aircraft with the goal of delivering up to 15,000 family food packs by Wednesday.
“The joint effort highlights the shared commitment of the two countries to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, as also emphasized in the recently concluded US-Philippine maritime cooperative activity (which took last February 9 to 10 in the West Philippine Sea)” he added.
Secretary Loyzaga maintained however, that “hazard does not have to become a disaster.”
In a radio interview on Sunday, Loyzaga raise an appeal in the wake of the landslide incident in Maco, stressing the DENR’s collaborative efforts with key national and local agencies to enhance the preparedness and resilience of affected communities.
Recalling the incidence of an earlier landslide in the area in 2008, Loyzaga highlighted the significance of recognizing data-driven indicators for early warning and action. This includes the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s record of unusually high rainfall in January this year, which was four times the affected area’s monthly average in the nearest weather station.
Loyzaga likewise acknowledged the importance of local government units’ leadership in early action guided by hazard maps. She underscores that early warning should lead to early action.
She emphasized the critical role of a holistic approach – to face these challenges with the government, communities, private sector, and even the citizens. To facilitate early disaster readiness actions and promote science-based decision-making, especially in highly vulnerable areas, the DENR, through its Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), continues to update the distributed hazard maps and conduct information, education, and communication campaigns. The agency issues tailored geohazard advisories for local government units (LGUs) and concerned barangays.
This incident highlights the cooperation between DENR and the Philippine Space Agency. The timely sharing and processing of information can aid LGUs in conducting thorough disaster risk reduction measures.
The DENR in close collaboration with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), provides hazard maps and advisories for proactive disaster preparedness in alignment with the latter agency’s disaster risk reduction and management program. It also provides crucial support to search and rescue operations through its MGB regional offices in Mindanao, in partnership with the private sector in the region. MGB has deployed two ground penetrating radars for the use of responders on site in Maco.