A landslide buried a family of four inside their home in Barangay Pulangbato on Friday, Oct. 9, killing two young children and their 60-year-old grandmother while their mother survived.
Rescuers spent nearly six hours recovering the family from their home in Sitio Kandarong Riverside as persistent rain and unstable soil made operations dangerous.
The fatalities were identified as siblings Xian Caballero, 5, and Kyden, 6, and their grandmother, Judith, 60. Their mother, Jolly Pearl Andamon, 38, survived and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Rescuers recovered Xian at around 1:45 p.m. and rushed him to a hospital, where he later died despite emergency treatment. They rescued Andamon alive shortly afterward.
Responders recovered Kyden at around 4:24 p.m. and Judith at 5:43 p.m. Both had died by the time rescuers retrieved them.
Personnel from the barangay, the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the Bureau of Fire Protection in Cebu City took part in the operation. The shifting ground and continuing rainfall forced responders to work cautiously and temporarily suspend operations over safety concerns.
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival expressed his condolences to the bereaved family.
“Our deepest prayers and sympathies are with the family during this painful time,” Archival said.
The landslide also displaced 35 families, or 137 people, according to Tumulak. It completely destroyed two houses and prompted residents of 29 other houses to evacuate.
The city government accommodated the evacuees at the Pulangbato Gym and pledged to provide relief goods and hot meals throughout their stay.
Archival urged residents in landslide-prone areas to remain vigilant and take precautions amid the continuing rains. He also asked the public to stay away from the affected site and keep access roads clear for emergency vehicles and heavy equipment.
The city government committed to providing P20,000 in financial assistance to the relatives of each deceased victim and another P20,000 to the owners of houses damaged by the landslide.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration in the Visayas attributed Friday’s rainfall to the intertropical convergence zone, which was expected to bring more rain until early next week.
Photo by Jacq Hernandez, PBB Photojournalist
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