by: Jose Robert Inventor
Ten people have been confirmed dead while one remains missing after Super Typhoon Uwan battered the Cordillera region, triggering widespread landslides and flash floods.
In Lubuagan, Kalinga, part of a mountain collapsed on Barangay Western Uma, killing two residents, Eric Magwin and Aki Magwin.
Two others were reported missing, and one survivor sustained head injuries.
Kalinga Police spokesperson PCpt. Ruff Manganip said the victims were inside their home when the landslide occurred. “They were conducting an assessment when the landslide hit, and the house was completely buried,” he said.
By morning, one of the missing individuals, identified as Redento Magwin, was found.
Search operations continue for Barangay Kagawad Redento Tinio.
Another fatality was recorded in Tinglayan, Kalinga, where a man drowned after falling into a creek. “He fell about five meters and was carried by the creek’s strong current until he reached the Chico River,” Manganip said.
Large boulders and thick mud flowed through Gappu Creek in Tanudan, Kalinga, destroying homes and isolating several villages.
MDRRMO head Benedick Asbucan said the flash floods came from Gappu Bridge, which is close to residential areas. “It’s difficult now because the communities are isolated. Some families sought shelter in rice granaries on higher ground,” he explained.
Floodwaters also entered rice fields in Barangay Dacalan and damaged classrooms and a footbridge in Lubo Elementary School.
The same area suffered similar flooding during Typhoon Rosita, Asbucan added.
In Barlig, Mountain Province, a 57-year-old man died after his home was buried by a landslide early in the morning.
His two sons were injured, but one of them, aged 24, did not survive.
Mountain Province PDRRMO Chief Atty. Edward Chumawar Jr. said rescue operations were hampered by consecutive landslides. “The victim had a head injury, and because of continuous slides, he couldn’t be immediately brought to the hospital,” he said.
One fatality was also confirmed in Tinoc, Ifugao, where a farmer was caught in a landslide while resting at his farm.
In Benguet, Governor Melchor Diclas confirmed three deaths, one in Kabayan and two in Buguias, all due to landslides. “It’s sad because we lost three lives, all related to landslides,” Diclas said. “We’re now coordinating help for their families.”
Local governments continue to assess damages across the Cordillera while providing relief assistance to affected families.
