17 dead as 20 landslides hit Nueva Vizcaya-Benguet road during Ompong onslaught

At least 17 individuals were killed by 20 landslides that struck the Nueva Vizcaya-Benguet road during the onslaught of Typhoon Ompong in northern Luzon on Saturday.

According to a report by Emil Sumangil on 24 Oras on Wednesday, one of the victims, Rogelio Bulcio, was checking on his vehicle when a landslide occurred on the road in Barangay Loacan in Itogon, the same Benguet town where dozens of people were buried in a landslide that same day in Barangay Ucab.

"Hindi po namin ine-expect na ganito kasi 'yung bundok diyan maraming puno, so ang expected namin safe kami," said Nover Bulcio, Rogelio's brother.

"Pero 'yun pala, dahil sa lakas ng typhoon na 'yun, kukunin pala ang pamilya namin. Masakit mawalan ng kapatid."

Search, rescue and retrieval operations are continuing for two missing individuals in Barangay Loacan's main district, where eight rescuers were earlier buried alive as they were trying to save residents.

"Punong-puno na po sa loob 'yung tubig at putik, 'yun pumutok sa taas sa mismong harapan ng nirerescue-han nila," said Kagawad Franklin Almoza.

Rogelio's girlfriend, Reggie Ann Wakit, said they had been planning on getting married. Despite the pain of losing him, she said, she was thankful to have met someone like Rogelio, whom she described as very loving and hardworking.

"Kahit na 'yun po ang nangyari, nagpapasalamat ako sa Panginoon dahil nakilala ko siya. Wala akong... napakabait niya tapos masipag po siya, hindi niya pinapangako 'yung kayamanan, 'yung mai-provide niya lahat. Basta ang importante 'yung pagmamahal niya sa akin," she said.

Itogon, Benguet was just one of the areas severely hit by Ompong, which entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility on September 12 and cut a destructive swath through parts of Luzon before leaving the PAR three days later.

At least 66 were killed in the Cordillera Autonomous Region, authorities reported, with another 66 missing.

The death toll from the landslide that hit the mining site in Barangay Ucab, Itogon on Saturday alone has reached 20 as of Wednesday.

Damage to the agricultural sector has reached P16.76 billion. — Anna Felicia Bajo/BM, GMA News