Dogs become heroes in Comval rescue efforts

Two Belgian Malinois dogs are proving to be the best help for a 10-man rescue team from Makati and the Philippine K-9 Search and Rescue Foundation who have recovered 28 bodies so far in New Bataan in Compostela Valley, one of the areas hardest hit by typhoon Pablo.

Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay said “Ira” and “Drena” who have been trained in search and rescue operations in France have been actively assisting the rescue and recovery mission since December 7.

Binay said among the bodies recovered with the help of the two dogs were those of a pregnant woman (estimated to be between 24-30 years old), a girl and two soldiers.

Binay said Makati has invested in the acquisition and training of search and rescue dogs.

“We are devastated by the tragedy and our dogs and the team will remain as long as they are needed,” he said.

Binay said the search and rescue dogs delivered results in actual operations, particularly in locating the bodies of victims hidden from plain sight.

Binay added that Makati would get more search dogs to be trained by the Philippine K-9 Search and Rescue Foundation for deployment to disaster stricken areas whenever needed. 

The Philippine K-9 Search and Rescue Foundation, which is based in Makati City and operates nationwide, educates, trains and provide highly trained search dog teams for search and rescue missions. The foundation’s programs focus on the training of search dogs, organizing tests and certifications for search dog teams in the Philippines and promotion of using trained dogs for search and rescue missions.

In addition to the two dogs, the rescue team brought with them from Makati City two chainsaws, a vibrascope (an instrument that could detect victims trapped underneath debris and tree trunks), a vibraphone (an instrument to communicate with live trapped victims), and a hydraulic cutter or a hydraulic spreader commonly used to rescue passengers trapped in wrecked cars.