Rescuers were still looking for landslide survivors in Saint Bernard town in Southern Leyte late Monday even after a government official announced that US Marines taking part in the rescue operation found survivors under the mud. Captain Burrell Parmer, spokesman for the US Marines in Leyte, denied late Monday his team found at least 50 survivors. Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Marius Corpuz earlier told GMA-7’s “24-Oras" that a number of survivors were rescued by the US Marines. Earlier reports said text messages from those trapped in thick mud gave rescuers hint where to dig, leading to the rescue of the survivors. The reports said rescuers detected “life movement" from where a public elementary school was believed buried in mud and rocks. Lt. Col. Raul Farnacio, Philippine Army ground commander, said life-detection sonars used by rescuers detected slight movement after recovery teams dug half-way down the site of Guinsaugon Elementary School. Some 200 students and teachers were reported trapped inside the school building. Farnacio said the discovery brought hope to rescuers. He said rescue operations would continue for 24 hours after local government executives installed electric generators in the area. Farnacio said 80 bodies have so far been recovered. SENSORS Search and rescue teams earlier set up sensors as efforts to recover survivors continue. Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz, concurrent chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council, said the sensors set up by a 33-man team from Taiwan would help identify areas where to dug. “The Taiwanese have light and sound sensors…that will determine the areas where there are probable survivors," Cruz said. Cruz made the announcement during the formal opening of the RP-US Balikatan exercises in Camp Aguinaldo. Half of the 5,000 US troops who are due to take part in the training exercise were sent to Leyte to help in the search and rescue operation. Malaysian rescue workers also arrived in Leyte on Monday. Rescue workers have so far recovered 81 bodies, 36 of them have been identified. There were also 19 people reported injured. Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross, said an audio scanner was brought to Leyte on Sunday to help look for possible survivors. Gordon visited the landslide site Sunday to supervise the relief and rescue operations of the Red Cross. He said the Red Cross has listed 906 names of people buried by the landslide. “We will still search continuously but we have to be prepared because what may happen is, we will have a mass grave right there…I know the President said that she will try to recover everybody. I don’t know whether we have the capability. I doubt it. But we should try, we should try," he said. GEO-HAZARD MAPPING President Arroyo on Monday ordered the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to immediately release of P80 million to finish the government's geo-hazard mapping project that would identify areas in the country that are prone to disasters. She said there is already a list of 1,500 geo-hazardous areas identified by former Environment Secretary Elisea Gozun, "but people don't pay attention." The President said the list will be published as she appealed to the media to "give it prime time and front page treatment." Officials from the the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) earlier said lack of funds hampered the completion of the geological hazard map that would identify, assess and characterize the areas vulnerable to disaster. The Geological Hazard Mapping, a major project of the DENR's Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), needs P90 million but is currently proceeding with only 10 percent of the budget. Mrs. Arroyo also ordered Diony Ventura, administrator of the National Mapping and Resources Information Authority (NAMRIA), to brief the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) about the vulnerable areas. - GMANews.TV
GMA Brandtalk
Tracking
Archives
