PANGANTUCAN, Bukidnon — After an exhaustive 12-day search covering hundreds of hectares of dense forest, authorities have officially terminated search and rescue operations for a missing hiker who disappeared while trekking Mt. Kalatungan, shifting their focus instead to a full-scale investigation as his family increased the reward for information leading to his whereabouts.
Alkharj Gomez Zamayla, 31, a resident of Jasaan, Misamis Oriental, and a safety officer for a construction company based in Bukidnon, has been missing since June 12 after reportedly climbing Mt. Kalatungan, the country’s fifth-highest mountain, in Pangantucan, Bukidnon.
The Incident Management Team formally ended the physical search after rescuers exhausted all identified search areas without finding any trace of Zamayla.
Rhyneheart Silva Uy, chief of the Incident Management Team of the Pangantucan Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), said search teams combed more than 600 hectares of rugged terrain stretching from the Portulin entry point to the thick forests of Barangays Concepcion and New Eden.
The operation involved soldiers, police personnel, disaster responders, volunteer mountaineers, local guides, indigenous responders, K9 units, and drone operators in what authorities described as one of the most extensive mountain search operations conducted in the area.
Among the resources deployed were K9 Bella—the rescue dog credited with locating victims during the 2024 Quezon, Bukidnon landslide—and Army Special Forces K9 units, along with two thermal drones provided by private companies. Despite the intensive efforts, none of the equipment or personnel uncovered any evidence pointing to Zamayla’s location.
“We have already searched all possible trails. If he had died within the area, there would likely have been signs or odor, but none were found,” Uy said.
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) Operations Chief Anecito Torayno Jr. said the Incident Management Team decided to suspend the physical search after nearly the entire mountain had been searched using both drones and K9 units.
According to Torayno, tracking conducted by a reliable K9 search dog suggested that Zamayla may have exited Mt. Kalatungan, as the scent trail reportedly indicated movement back toward the route he had taken before disappearing.
With the suspension of search operations, authorities are now transitioning to the investigative phase.
Pangantucan police investigator Police Captain Ernie Cabrera said investigators will now pursue other possible angles surrounding Zamayla’s disappearance after physically searching more than 654 hectares of forest.
“The investigation will continue as we explore all possible circumstances behind his disappearance,” Cabrera said.
Despite the termination of the formal search, the Pangantucan Municipal Police Station stressed that the case remains active and officers will continue monitoring any new developments while supporting lawful and coordinated efforts aimed at locating Zamayla.
Family Raises Reward
To encourage the public to come forward, Zamayla’s family has increased the reward from an earlier offer of ₱60,000 to ₱100,000 for anyone who can provide credible and verifiable information leading directly to his location or recovery.
Police urged anyone with information—regardless of how insignificant it may appear—to immediately contact the Pangantucan Municipal Police Station through its hotline numbers. Authorities assured the public that all information received will be treated with strict confidentiality.
Illegal Climbs Under Scrutiny
Zamayla’s disappearance has also renewed concerns over unauthorized hiking activities on Mt. Kalatungan, where illegal or unregistered climbs continue to complicate rescue operations and place both responders and indigenous communities at risk.
Authorities said so-called “backdoor” trails allow hikers to bypass official registration systems, avoid paying environmental fees, and enter protected areas without leaving records of their itineraries, emergency contacts, or intended routes.
Officials described these unauthorized visitors as “ghost hikers,” making search and rescue operations significantly more difficult whenever accidents or disappearances occur because responders have little information to work with.
Mt. Kalatungan, which stands 2,824 meters above sea level and forms part of a protected landscape, features rugged terrain and numerous undocumented entry points through remote farming communities, making enforcement challenging.
Authorities also noted that existing penalties for unauthorized entry remain too lenient to discourage hikers from taking dangerous shortcuts.
The burden of rescue operations often falls on indigenous Talaandig and Manobo communities living around the mountain.
Traditional leaders regularly mobilize their pagalad, or tribal boundary caretakers, and bagani, or peacekeepers, to assist rescuers in navigating remote sections of the mountain range during emergencies.
Local leaders said repeated incidents involving illegal climbers continue to strain already limited manpower and resources while exposing indigenous responders themselves to significant danger during prolonged rescue missions.
Although the large-scale search has officially concluded, authorities said the investigation remains ongoing, while Zamayla’s family continues to hold onto hope that new information from the public may finally reveal what happened to the missing hiker.