Two more bodies in Benguet raise ‘Ineng’ death toll to 29

Sabangan bridge – vital route to Mt. Prov. Kalinga, Ifugao restored 

MANKAYAN, Benguet  -- Two more bodies were retrieved from the landslide area here in Sitio Elizabeth, Taneg Monday, raising the death toll from onslaught of Typhoon “Ineng.” to 29 even as four Cordillera provinces were declared under state of calamity.

Alex Uy, head of Cordillera Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and Office of Civil Defense Cordillera Administrative Region said these included Abra, Benguet, Apayao and Mountain Province.

Balbalan town of Kalinga was also declared in “state of calamity.”

This, as repair of the damaged bailey detour bridge due to Ineng at Nacagang,Sabangan, Mountain Province is now open to motorists passing through Bontoc-Baguio road.

Mountain Province District Engineering Office head engineer Wilbur Likigan said construction materials were available so the washed out post of the bridge caused by the recent typhoon was replaced.

The closure of the detour bridge for some days made commuters pass through rice fields of Sabangan to reach the other end for those either bound to western towns of  Sabangan, Tadian and Bauko or to central Bontoc to awaiting transfer vehicles. Buses had to pass earlier through Banaue- Bontoc road.  

Meantime construction of the main Sabangan bridge at Nacagang awaits redesign,  Likigan said.  

The Nacagang Bridge was dismantled a year ago due to its deteriorated state and soon to be reconstructed.

Construction was stalled for  redesign to protect a nearby tomb.

Meanwhile, Supt. Jonathan Calixto, ground commander of the search-and-retrieval team, identified the latest cadavers retrieved from under the rubble of the huge landslide at Mankayan, Benguetas that of Rocky Mangrubang, 19, a native from Aurora province; and Ronald Paul Angel, 19, of Taneg

Both victims were among 17 miners caught by landslide at the height of torrential rains from “Ineng”.

Eleven bodies have since been recovered and six remain missing.

Members of rescue and retrieval teams found the seventh of 18 miners who were buried in a landslide during the height of the typhoon in Barangay Taneg, Mankayan Aug 21.

Although Mankayan Mayor Materno Luspian identified the body as that of Nardo Mocnangan, the Office of Civil Defense in the Cordillera opted to wait for personnel from the Department of Health before making a confirmation.

More than 500 members of search and retrieval groups continue to search for signs of life near the landslide area.

Seven shanties used by miners at Sitio Elizabeth in Taneg were reportedly washed out by a flood and buried by a landslide at around 3 a.m.

Cordillera regional police spokesperson Supt. Cherry Fajardo said the body of Crispin Ablao was retrieved night of Aug. 22.

Uy said Ablao’s body was fished out from the Basig River while the remains of three others identified as Felimon Adcapan, Armando Dayao and Jasper Olivarez were retrieved morning the next day.

Cordillera police identified the missing miners as Ronaldo Angel, Paulita Angel, Ronald Paul Angel, Jonie Foster, Marpety Tumalban, Crisanto Ablao, Nardo Mocnangan, Marvin Baturi, Harold Baturi, Rocky Mangrubang, John Aluyan Jr., Jose Aluyan, Mark Balicdan, and Efren Balicdan.

The OCD–Cordillera said combined search and rescue teams from the police, local government units, civilian volunteers and personnel from the Gold Rich Expo International Mining Co. and Lepanto Mines were still conducting search and rescue operations as of press time. Officials said poor visibility and heavy rains posed challenges to the rescue teams.

This, as relief goods in the provinces of Abra and Benguet are still on.  Affected individuals were 38,578 evacuated families numbering 132,374 Total damage to national roads was pegged at P156.77 million, local roads at P563 million, irrigation facilities, P511.46 for a total of P1.23 billion.

Damage to agriculture in Cordillera reached P504.01.

Meanwhile, recent flooding aggravated by the release of water from San Roque Dam and the swelling of the Tarlac River was reported to have damaged 1,070 hectares of ricefields in Pangasinan.

Pangasinan Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Nestor Batalla said the damaged rice plants in their growing stage were reported mainly in Mangatarem, Bayambang, and Bautista towns. -- With reports from Gina Dizon, Liezle Basa Iñigo, Jerry Padilla and Liam Anacleto