QUEZON, Bukidnon — With the clock ticking and the terrain still unstable, rescuers in Quezon, Bukidnon, continue to battle through thick mud and dangerous slopes in an all-out search and retrieval operation for two missing residents buried under the landslide that struck the Davao-Bukidnon Highway on Saturday night, October 18.
The landslide occurred at the Overview area in Sitio Kipolot, Barangay Palacapao, where a massive portion of the mountain collapsed, burying parts of the road and a tricycle locally known as a “bao-bao.” The couple identified as Ely and Thelma Ubatay are believed to have been on board the tricycle when the earth gave way.
Responders from the Quezon Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), Philippine Army, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and local barangay officials are working tirelessly, using shovels and heavy machinery, despite the continued risk of soil movement in the area.
Authorities have warned the public to stay away from the site as the ground remains unstable and unsafe even for pedestrians. The DPWH Bukidnon 2nd District Engineering Office, led by Assistant District Engineer Manuel Varias and Construction Division Chief Engr. Rey Emeterio, has been dispatched to assess the situation and open alternative routes for stranded motorists.
Alternate routes have been advised:
- For heavy vehicles: Maramag (via Camp One) – Damulog – Carmen – Kabacan – Matalam – Kidapawan – Bansalan – Digos City.
- For light vehicles: Valencia City – San Fernando – Talaingod – Kapalong – Tagum City or Panabo City.
The tragedy has deeply affected the community, especially after learning that the missing couple had previously survived another disaster. According to a netizen, Dacyl Tapales Magbanua, Ely and Thelma lost three members of their family — including a 3-year-old grandchild — in a flash flood that hit their home in Kitaotao, Bukidnon, last year.
“They thought they had escaped danger, but fate brought them back to the same earth that once took their loved ones,” Magbanua shared in a heartfelt post.
The Quezon Municipal LGU has expressed its deep sympathy to the victims’ families and urged the public to join in praying for the missing couple’s recovery and the safety of rescuers risking their lives at the site.
As operations continue under heavy rain and unstable ground, the rescuers’ determination stands as a testament to unity and compassion in times of tragedy — a race against time fueled by hope, courage, and faith.