Korean missing in mountains between Mt Province, Ifugao

BARLIG, Mountain Province -- A Korean hiker has not returned after he reportedly went missing in the mountain ranges along the borders of this province and Ifugao a week ago.

Korean Choi Sungkyu reportedly arrived in Barlig, in eastern Mt. Province on June 7 in the afternoon and checked in at the Halfway Inn and Restaurant in the town center.

Police investigation revealed Choi had no record being in the tourist town of Sagada before his disappearance.

 Two days after, Sungkyu checked out from his hotel and told the hotel’s owner he was heading to Battad, Banaue, Ifugao where the world-renowned Battad Rice Terraces is located.  

He was seen at around 9:30 a.m. on June 9 by villager Miguel Lagkio at Sitio Chator, Barangay Latang, Barlig heading towards Barangay Pula, Banaue, in Ifugao.

Battad, local mountain hiking guides said, could be reached by foot via Barangay Pula. 

Around 5:30 p.m. of June 13, town cop PO2 Guting was able to contact him.

Asked about his location, Choi replied he was at a place with many pine trees and was very weak.

He informed Guting he was putting off his cell phone to conserve battery power. 

On June 14 at about 6:30 a.m., Barlig police received a report from the Korean Embassy informing them Choi was alive and on a big rock in the mountains.

Acting on this information, disaster personnel, concerned citizens and police proceeded to Sitios Ammiw and Furud in Latang where big rocks are located and searched the area to no avail.

Barlig cops coordinated with their Banaue peers but as of press time, Choi could not be found. 

To date 13 rescue teams from police, disaster personnel and barangay officials were still searching for Sungkyu along the area between Barlig and Banaue.