Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 identified the fatalities in a landslide in Purok 19, Pag-Asa, Brgy. Mt. Diwata, Monkayo, Davao De Oro as Catherine Gumatin, 36 and her five minor children namely: Romel, 1 year old; Dyana,3; Cristelle, 9; Hanna, 10; and Aileen, 12.
The other fatalities were Marjorie Neñara, 35, Ritchel Reboldad, 35; Agnes Bitoon; and Elvira Saldua. Reboldad, Saldua, and Bitoon’s bodies was recovered at Friday noon following the search and retrieval operations.
Police investigation revealed that around 1:45 p.m, the victims who are members of the Assembly of God church were having a prayer meeting at the Gumatin residence when suddenly a landslide struck.
Police report said that one-year-old Amara Dilola was severely injured in said landslide incident.
Authorities including the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office are still conducting search and retrieval operations for possible recovery of the Gumatin’s patriach Rommel Gumatin Sr.
On the other hand, a 7-year-old Jheron Hamaguchi Manay also died in a landslide in Sitio Kalachuci Brgy. Salaysay, Marilog District, in this city on same fateful day at around 9 p.m.
Jheron’s parents, Ryan, 35; and Anjaneth, 28; and sister Zhyriel Anne, 9 are also hurt and are now being treated at the Southern Philippines Medical Center.
Anjaneth told police they were inside their residence when suddenly, soil eroded going to the direction of their house due to heavy downpours.
Also 43-year-old Ernesto Pacinio, a resident of Purok 5, Tigatto, this city died in another landslide at 8:10, Thursday night. Two persons were also injured. They were identified as Jose Delatore, 49 and Roel Olasiman, 51. They were reportedly drinking at Olasiman’s residence at Purok 5, Km8, Apeque, Brgy. Tigatto when the wall suddenly collapsed due to a landslide.
Meanwhile, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) 11 in its latest data, reported that some 95 barangays in the region have been affected by flooding in the past few days. Sixty-four of these barangays are in Davao del Norte.
OCD also recorded 52 barangays affected by landslide; of which 44 occured in Davao de Oro.
As of Friday noon, OCD already recorded a total of 349,183 individuals belonging to 83,158 families who were affected by the floodings.
Also, eleven roads and four bridges remain unpassable to all types of vehicles due to landslide blockage and overflowing and scouring of bridges.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has provided 21,203 family food packs amounting to P13,670,534 to the affected population.
Other respective local government units also gave assistance to their affected residents.
Photo from Monkayo PNP
Photo from DCPO