COTABATO CITY, Philippines โ Eight people were killed in separate landslides in two adjoining provinces in the Davao Region after days of heavy rainfall from Wednesday to early Friday, authorities said on Saturday.
Flooding also hit several barangays in Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur in Caraga (Region 13), following torrential downpours that inundated low-lying communities.
Deployed to landslides areas
Units of the Philippine Armyโs 10th Infantry Division โ the 25th, 66th, and 67th Infantry Battalions โ have been deployed to assist local government units in Davao de Oro, Davao Oriental, Agusan del Sur, and Surigao del Sur in evacuating more than 2,000 families affected by floods and landslides.
Mati City Mayor Joel Almario confirmed that four members of a family died after a landslide struck their home in Barangay Salazar on Friday. Authorities said mud and rocks cascading from a hillside buried and destroyed the familyโs semi-permanent house.
In Davao de Oro, provincial officials told radio stations that a small-scale miner was killed in a separate landslide in Pantukan. Three other residents were buried alive in another landslide in Monkayo on Thursday night.
‘Enough personnel’
Major General Alvin Luzon, commander of the 10th Infantry Division, said more than 600 soldiers have been mobilized for disaster response operations in areas hit by floods and landslides.
โWe have more than enough personnel to mobilize for emergency response and calamity mitigation operations if needed,โ Luzon said.
Army personnel, along with local disaster response teams and other government agencies, have cleared roads blocked by fallen trees, mud, and rocks to restore access to affected communities, officials said.
Authorities continue to monitor vulnerable areas as rains persist in parts of Mindanao.
PHOTO: Soldiers from a unit of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division clear a stretch of highway of trees felled by strong winds that pummeled the area amid heavy rains from Wednesday to Friday. (Contributed Photo)
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