DAVAO CITY —With eight more persons left missing, the local government of Maco, Davao de Oro on Thursday terminated the search and retrieval operations at Zone 1, Barangay Masara, the ground zero of the February 6 landslide.
During 15-day search, rescue, and retrieval operations, 98 bodies were recovered while a 3-year-old child miraculously survived after 68 hours under tons of pyroclastic rocks which covered the community center.
On February 22, Maco town Mayor Voltaire Rimando issued Executive Order No. 17, Series of 2024, “An Order of Termination of Search and Retrieval Operations of the landslide incident effective February 22, 2024 1700H”.
Governor Dorothy M. Gonzaga thanked everyone for their invaluable support “Words cannot express how grateful we are to every help you extended from your time to your resources, without you the task was never this easy for us, we cannot pay your skills, time and support. You have our prayers, may God Bless you always and protect you and your families.’
Brig, Gen. Ronnie Babac, commander of the military’s 1001st Infantry Battalion, who was among the members of the Incident Management Team (IMT) told Newsline “For days, we haven’t recovered remnants,” so the termination was suggested.
A catholic mass was held at ground zero with the rescuers on Thursday.
Rimando in a statement said, “We honor the extraordinary acts of bravery and heroism witnessed during the Masara Landslide Incident.”
The collaborative response of emergency response teams, volunteers, donors, and incident management teams from Local government units, various national government agencies, and private stakeholders was indeed marked by dedication and courage, he added.
“Despite the challenging conditions and risks posed by the terrain, responders remained steadfast in their commitment to saving lives and providing assistance to those in need,” the mayor emphasized.
On behalf of the people of Maco, Davao de Oro, Rimando expressed “My utmost gratitude for the invaluable contributions of every individual.”
