2 more bodies retrieved from DPWH building identified

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – Rains in Banawel, Natonin, Paracelis for the past two days have hampered retrieval operations in the buried DPWH building. Two bodies were retrieved last Sunday, November 4, while no body was retrieved today, November 5, the DPWH Mountain Province Second District Office said. 

The two bodies were identified as that of Garry Hecyawan of RAF Construction and Rogel Alubong, the DPWH security guard.

Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office–Mountain Province said that a total of 16 bodies were already retrieved and 12 remain missing. The unclaimed bodies were brought to the Carbonel Funeral Homes at Alfonso Lista, Ifugao.

The others who were retrieved were identified as Joel Arevalo, Gregorio Castro, Juanita Longan, Virginia Malucay, Coyugan Catet, John Tenmatcheg, Jerry Epan, Raymundo Ngilin, Benito Longan, Junjun Laron, Elberto Betco, Reynato Ayom, Gary Hecyawan and Rogelio Alubong. They were either construction workers of RAF and Moment Diagram, DPWH guards or neighbors who sought refugein the building during the height of Typhoon Rosita (Yutu).

(READ: DSWD to help cover funeral expenses for Natonin landslide victims)

The mountain beside the 3 DPWH buildings partly collapsed and buried the buildings Wednesday afternoon, October 31. 

The DPWH Second District Engineering Office in Sitio Sakrang, Barangay Banawel, Natonin, Mountain Province was hit by a landslide on Tuesday afternoon, October 30 due to continuous rains spawned by Typhoon Rosita.

Two of the bodies remained unidentified. – Rappler.com