Gov't shifts from rescue to retrieval in Pablo-hit areas

MANILA, Philippines - The government is now shifting to search and retrieval as hopes of finding more survivors in typhoon-hit areas in Mindanao and other areas turn dim.

“We are now shifting to retrieval mode. From this [Friday] morning to this hour, we have retrieved 10 additional bodies,” said Lt. Col. Antonino Florendo, commander of the Philippine Army's 66th Infantry Battallion based in the town of New Bataan in Compostela Valley.

Latest fatalities were recovered underneath the flashflood debris in several downstream areas away from the wiped out Barangay Andap, Florendo said.

Florendo added that he could have been swept by the rampaging flashflood that first ravaged highland communities before slamming into downstream villages including the town proper of New Bataan on Tuesday morning last week.

“Sa ibaba na kami naka focus ngayon kung saan nag-ipon ipon ang mga flood debris. Yong mga nakuha namin kanina ay mahirap na silang makilala dahil halos lusaw na ang mga mukha,” Florendo told The STAR in a telephone interview.

The latest bodies recovered by soldiers have yet to be reflected in the growing number of official death toll released by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) numbering to 906.

The flashflood in New Bataan also did not spare Florendo’s headquarters along with the battalion's forward command post manned by the the elements of Charlie Company in Barangay Andap, leaving four soldiers dead and seven others missing.

More than 20 soldiers from the Army battalion tapped for disaster duties were also injured, three of them still in critical condition.

Pablo's huge number of fatalities came from Davao region (Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental) with 848 reported deaths while the rest came from Caraga region; Western Mindanao; Central, Eastern and Western Visayas regions and Southern Tagalog (Palawan).

The death toll is expected to further increase as search and retrieval operations are still underway for the 932 missing persons, including 311 fishermen from General Santos City who to date, have failed to return nor have communicated with their respective families.

The cost of damages left by Pablo to government and private infrastructures as well as in the agriculture and fishery sectors have already ballooned to more than P15 billion and also counting.

A Navy cargo ship sailed to Davao Oriental on Friday from its home port in Sangley Point in Cavite with tons of donated food and non-food items for distribution to the thousands of evacuees who after losing everything to Pablo, are now relying mainly on donations for their daily survivals.- Jaime Laude