TACLOBAN CITY – A landslide triggered by continuous heavy rains struck Barangay San Ramon in San Ricardo, Southern Leyte, early Sunday morning, July 13, leaving one person missing and causing significant damage to properties and equipment.
The missing individual was identified as Dador Moscosa, 54, a foreman of 888 ACY Construction and a native of San Policarpo, Eastern Samar. He was reportedly in the area overseeing an infrastructure project when the landslide occurred at around 5:55 a.m.
The Office of Civil Defense in Eastern Visayas (OCD-8) immediately deployed its quick response team (QRT), working in close coordination with the Police Regional Office 8 and other local and national emergency units.
Search, rescue, and retrieval (SRR) operations were promptly initiated with support from the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Department of Public Works and Highways, the Philippine Army, and community volunteers.
OCD-8 also mobilized a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system to aid in locating the missing worker.
Preliminary reports indicate that three families were directly affected, with three houses damaged, along with several pieces of construction equipment, including a dump truck and a cement mixer, which were buried under the rubble.
Residents from the danger zone were immediately evacuated to nearby safer areas.
Authorities confirmed that persistent rainfall from Saturday evening until early Sunday morning caused the soil to loosen and eventually collapse, triggering the landslide.
Rescue efforts remain ongoing as responders work around the clock to find Moscosa and ensure the safety and welfare of displaced residents.
(LIZBETH ANN A.ABELLA, ROBERT DEJON, AND ELVIE ROMAN ROA)
