A volunteer responder who took part in search-and-rescue operations following the deadly Binaliw landfill collapse in Cebu City has died of sepsis.
Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak, chair of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CCDRRMC), confirmed that the 50-year-old volunteer from Toledo City passed away on Sunday, January 18, due to complications from an infected foot wound.
Tumulak said the volunteer, a security guard and member of an emergency response team from a mining firm in Toledo City, was deployed to the Binaliw landfill site from January 10 to 12, based on check-in records at the incident command post.
According to the volunteer’s family, he developed a blister on his foot after wearing protective boots continuously while working at the landslide site.
The wound worsened after he returned home on January 13, when swelling and signs of infection became apparent.
“Base sa atoang incident command post, sa ilang check-in, didto siya Jan. 10 to 12. Sa akong pagstorya sa family, niuli siya Jan. 13 nga naghubag ug nasamad ang tiil tungod sa pagsul-ob og boots. Gihilantan siya ug gidala sa hospital,” Tumulak said.
The volunteer was first admitted to a hospital in Toledo City before being transferred later that day to a medical facility in Cebu City, where he remained confined for several days.
He later succumbed to septic shock.
Medical records indicate that the immediate cause of death was an infected wound on the left hallux, or big toe, with diabetes mellitus type 2 listed as a significant contributing condition.
The family confirmed that the volunteer had long been diabetic, which likely aggravated the infection and hastened its progression.
“Matod sa iyang anak, daan na siyang diabetic. Paghuman niyang nasamad, nigrabe ang infection ug miresulta sa septic shock, secondary to diabetes mellitus type 2,” Tumulak said.
While the injury may not have been directly caused by the landfill collapse, Tumulak noted that the volunteer’s deployment at the Binaliw site likely contributed to the wound due to prolonged exposure to harsh working conditions and extended use of protective footwear.
As of January 19, the volunteer’s remains were with his family in Toledo City, where they are holding his wake. (LLP)
Photo by Jacq Hernandez
