Death toll from southwest monsoon rises to 31

MANILA, Philippines - The death toll from the southwest monsoon has risen to 31 with majority of the fatalities buried alive in landslides that occurred in Zambales.

1Lt. Yvonne Ricaforte, civil-military operations officer of the Army’s 24th battalion, said 28 people had died due to landslides in Zambales that affected four barangays.

Majority of the fatalities, 19 of them, were from Subic. Ricaforte said 12 bodies had been recovered in Barangay Wawandue near Barangay Cawag while seven others were retrieved in Barangay San Isidro both in Subic.

Authorities also recovered four bodies in barangays Aglao and Balanawan in the municipality of San Marcelino. Five other corpses were retrieved in Barangay in Malaybalay in Castillejos town.

The landslide fatalities that were identified by disaster management officials were Brian Bueno, Jenalyn Bueno, John Bueno, Seanly Bueno, Charlyn Bueno, Merlyn  Ednalaguim, Ian Dimalanta, Ryan Ecujardas, Kian Ecujardas, Rolly Ecujardas, Jesal Ecujardas, Jesal bacos, Danilo Cuanan, Juvelyn Cuanan, Daniela Cuanan, Doray Cuanan, Daniel Cuanan and Joshua Ytak.

NDRRMC Executive Director Eduardo del Rosario attributed the casualties to the local residents’ failure to relocate to safer places.

“These areas are high-risk areas. Our countrymen were advised to relocate already or resettle but the problem is because of their financial consideration, they could not relocate and transfer to new sites,” del Rosario said in a press briefing.  

“In this incident, they did not evacuate immediately despite the warning,” he added.

Del Rosario cited the need for voluntary pre-evacuation in disaster-prone areas to prevent loss of lives.

Meanwhile, two of the 31 fatalities died of drowning. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) identified them as Herminegilda Macaraeg, who was swept by a strong current in Olongapo City and David Jimenez who drowned in Bataan. 

A certain Botec Cabalic, 84, died of hypothermia in Castillejos, Zambales. 

The Office of Civil Defense Central Luzon said 10 persons were reported missing due to the southwest monsoon. 

NDRRMC said the southwest monsoon has affected a total of 18,231 persons or 3,751 families in 60 barangays. 

Out of the affected persons, 11,169 persns or 2,388 families were displaced and are now inside evacuation centers.