DAVAO ORIENTAL, Philippines – After 15 days of search for survivors and bodies in the February 6 landslide in the mining village of Masara in Maco town, Davao de Oro, the local government announced the termination of retrieval work on Thursday, February 22.

The local government also announced the lifting of class suspensions in seven schools in Masara and neighboring villages, which had taken effect earlier.

The local government reported that responders recovered 98 bodies during the 15-day operation, while eight people remain missing.

In a statement, Maco Mayor Volter Rimando the local incident management team had “completed retrieval and debris clearing at ground zero, covering the entire landslide area down to ground level.”

Davao de Oro Governor Dorothy Gonzaga, meanwhile, lauded the landslide responders for their “extraordinary acts of bravery and heroism.”

“We honor the extraordinary acts of bravery and heroism witnessed during the Masara landslide incident. The collaborative response of emergency teams, volunteers, donors, and incident management teams from local and national government agencies, as well as private stakeholders, was marked by dedication and courage,” the town government said.

Local officials also noted that the response team members did their work despite challenging conditions and terrain risks.

To conclude the 15-day search, a Catholic mass attended by local government officials and disaster team workers was held at the site of the deadly landslide in Barangay Masara. – Rappler.com