Makati sends another retrieval team to typhoon-ravaged Leyte

MANILA, Philippines - The Makati City government last Monday sent another team to Leyte with the task of retrieving cadavers still trapped in the rubble left by super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay said the 15-man Makati Rescue team left for Tacloban on board a Philippine Air Force plane C-130 and after setting up their camp at the Remedios T. Romualdez Hospital, had immediately started operating in the area.

Binay said that as of Tuesday, the team was able to recover 12 bodies from various sitios in San Jose, Tacloban City.

“The first batch of Makati Rescue and Philippine K-9 members returned to Metro Manila last December 6,” Binay said.

“During their five-day operations in San Jose, they were able to retrieve 38 victims, including some children,” he added.

The first team, accompanied by trained search dogs “Drena” and “Ash”, were able to retrieve 38 victims from the different parts of San Jose, Tacloban on the following dates: December 1, four victims (one female, two children, one undetermined); December 2, 11 victims (two  children, three  males, one female, five undetermined); December 3 (two female victims; December 4, nine victims (one child, four males, three females,  one undetermined); and December 5, 12  victims (two children, six males, two females, two undetermined).

Binay thanked the search team members who participated in the first search and retrieval operations, namely:  from PH-K9, Joel Carandang (Overall Team Leader), Willes John Camu, Jeffrey del Rosario, and Marve Umali; from Makati Rescue, Frederick Garcia (Operations Team Leader), Richard Tupas, Mervicto Verduz, Aldrin Lutao, John Paul Amado, Caven Castro, Roderick Perez, Michael Cliff Pagsiat, Andrew Reyes, Ranier Dagdag and Windmark Larosa.

The members of the second batch of search and retrieval team are all from Makati Rescue.

They will team up with International Canine which already has search dogs in the area of operation.