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BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – Around 30 individuals are still patiently waiting at the training center of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Baguio City.
All of them are hoping that anytime soon they will be able to see at least the bodies of their loved ones buried beneath the rubble of a landslide that descended upon a barangay in Itogon, Benguet during the onslaught of Typhoon Ompong a week ago.
On Tuesday, September 25, four more bodies were recovered from the landslide site.
The next day, authorities began the DNA sampling of the victims’ kin to speed up the process of identifying and claiming the bodies.
The DSWD Cordillera has also started processing burial assistance for relatives of those who are still missing.
This, after Regional Director Ruben Carandang of the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) declared that there were no signs of life anymore under the rubble.
The OCD also declared that the operation would be search and retrieval starting today.
According to the Cordillera Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC), the death toll from the landslide has already reached 107 with 87 from Benguet province (82 from Itogon) and 31 still missing. — Marje Pelayo (with reports from Grace Doctolero)
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