12/08/2026
๐๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ก๐ฉ๐๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ง๐จ๐๐ ๐ง๐ข ๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐จ๐๐ฅ๐ฆ, ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐จ๐ก๐ง๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐๐ก ๐๐จ๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ข๐ก๐ฆ๐
Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong, chairperson of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC), conveyed his sincerest gratitude to all rescuers, responders, volunteers, and individuals who extended assistance during the search, rescue, and retrieval (SRR) operations from August 9 โ 10, 2026 at Riverside, Guisad Surong.
The landslide struck at around 7:15 PM on August 9, damaging three houses and claiming the lives of 10 residents, while three others survived the incident.
First responders were officials of Barangays Guisad Surong, Fairview and Pinsao Pilot followed by the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO), the Bureau of Fire Protection - Baguio City Fire Station (BFP-BCFS), the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) and the Joint Task Unit Panagkaykaysa of the Philippine Army.
The mayor particularly recognized the contribution of private individuals who provided heavy equipment to help responders navigate the limited access to the affected area.
โMalaking tulong yung backhoe. Hirap talaga ang mga rescuers natin,โ the mayor said, emphasizing the critical assistance provided by the equipment during the operations.
He conveyed his sincerest appreciation to Mr. Walter Fagcangan and his son, John Wayne Fagcangan, who provided and operated a crawler-type backhoe during the SRR operations.
โDespite the risks, father and son did not give up,โ the mayor said.
According to City Engineer Engr. Richard Lardizabal, the City Engineering Office Disaster Response Team 3 conducted monitoring and response operations during the southwest monsoon to address weather-related incidents and provide necessary assistance.
The cityโs response operations were supplemented by the crawler-type backhoe owned by Fagcangan and operated by his son, through coordination and support from the City Engineering Office.
The City Environment and Parks Management Office and the City Buildings and Architecture office likewise provided portable jackhammers that helped responders break through concrete slabs and expedite the retrieval operations.
Lardizabal noted that the crawler-type backhoe was particularly useful because the cityโs larger heavy equipment could not maneuver through the limited entrance leading to the affected site.
The mayor also expressed appreciation to Baguio International Academy for opening its doors to members of the affected community and providing a temporary space for those displaced by the incident.
The city likewise recognized the assistance of volunteers who joined the response efforts, including Mr. Brett Karl Mitchell, a resident of Bokod, Benguet and his golden retriever โZumaโ, who participated in the search and rescue activities.
A total of 31 teams checked-in at the Incident Command Post during the operations specifically: Philippine National Police โ Police Regional Office Cordillera, City Health Services Office โ Emergency Management Service, City Health Services Office โ Environmental Sanitation Division, City mayorโs Office โ Public Order and Safety Division, BCPO โ City Mobile Force Company, BFP โ La Trinidad, Barangay Guisad Central, Philippine Navy, 1401st Community Defense Center โ Philippine Army, Baguio Water District, Baguio 911-On-Call, Tactical Operations Group 1 (TOG 1 of the Philippine Air Force, Department of Public Works and Highways โ Baguio City District Engineering Office, Irisan barangay, Department of Environment and Natural Resources โ City Environment Natural Resources Office, the Department of the Interior and Local Government โ Baguio City, the Department of Social Welfare and Development โ Cordillera Administrative Region, Sunshine Fire Volunteer, Criminal Investigation Detection Group โ Baguio City, City General Services Office, , Mines and Geosciences Bureau โ Cordillera Administrative Region, Baguio Memorial Chapel, Philippine Red Cross Baguio Chapter, the Baguio Distress Group, and Andres Bonifacio Barangay.
The mayor said the collective efforts of government responders, private individuals, volunteers, and the community demonstrated the importance of cooperation and solidarity during emergencies.
He extended his deepest appreciation to everyone who worked tirelessly, despite the difficult and dangerous conditions, to assist the affected families and support the cityโs emergency response operations. โ JM Samidan with photos by Kemm Olarte
