The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) 911 received a go signal from the Office of the Civil Defense to extend the number of days in assisting the ongoing rescue operations in the landslide-hit area of Masara in Maco, Davao De Oro.
CDRRMO Head Alfredo Baloran, in an interview after the weekly flag ceremony on Monday, confirmed that the three-day deployment of their rescue technicians, search and rescue equipment, and two dogs starting February 9 will be extended.
“We received a request from the OCD XI requesting the City Government of Davao, through our office, to extend the services of our search and rescue nga naa didto karon sa Masara. So for now, atong ginahimo is we communicate with our personnel nga naa didto sa ground and tan-awon pud nato ang welfare sa atong tao and what are needed kay good for three days raman ang provision nga ilang nadala.. maybe we will re-supply their basic needs (We received a request from OCD XI requesting the City Government of Davao, through our office, to extend the services of our search and rescue team in Masara. So for now, we are communicating with our personnel who are now on the ground and we will also check the welfare of our men in the area and what are their needs because the provisions they’ve brought are only good for three days.. maybe we will re-supply their basic needs),” Baloran said, adding that should the team in the area advise for a change of personnel they will also pull out the present team in the area.
He said that the USAR personnel brought with them search and rescue equipment that included apparatus used to check if there were still living persons in the vicinity, and also other equipment used to easily locate those who were buried in the landslide.
Baloran said that for the financial and welfare goods assistance for neighboring municipalities affected by the Trough of the Low Pressure Area, they already have the necessary documents and they are just waiting for the check for the financial assistance and the repacking of the welfare goods intended for critically hit areas. CIO
