Search on for 5 kids buried by rocks; death toll hits 173

MANILA, Philippines - The five children were last seen playing by a waterfall in Sagbayan town in Bohol.

Now the five are among 24 still missing in the aftermath of the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck the province as well as Cebu and some parts of Mindanao last Tuesday.

Disaster teams sifted through debris and inspected tons of boulders from a collapsed waterfall in search of the missing.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) placed the number of fatalities at 173 as of last night.

Senior Superintendent R’win Pagkalinawan, chief of theof the Philippine National Police-Police Community Affairs Division, identified the missing children as Jonalyn Somoro, 13; Joellena Somoro, 11, Jess Marvin Empinado, 10, Meme Jane Empinado, 9;  and Reynaldo Sipsip, 15, all from Sagbayan town.

It was unlikely any of them would be found alive, Bohol police commander Senior Superintendent Dennis Agustin warned.

“It looks doubtful. This is the fourth day since the quake. It is an extreme possibility they will be recovered alive,” he said.

Sagbayan is one of the municipalities worst hit by the quake. The others are Antequera, Balilihan, Baluan, Bilar, Buenavista, Calape, Catigbian, Clarin, Cortes, Danao, Getafe, Inabangan, Loay, Loon, Maribojoc, Pilar, Baclayon, San Isidro, Sevilla, Sierra Bullones, Albuquerque, Talibon, and Tubigon. Tagbilaran City also suffered heavily.

Pagkalinawan also said rescue and retrieval teams recovered the remains of a child beneath the rubble of the collapsed Our Lady of Light Parish in Loon town. 

Earlier, disaster personnel from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) pulled out two bodies from the ruins of the church.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said his men rescued 60 victims in a remote mountain area in Tan-awan, Loon town.

Among those rescued were 10 elderly, three infants, and 21 children, Tolentino said.

He said the MMDA has sent another team – its fourth – to help in rescue and relief efforts.

“This fourth team will coordinate with the first three teams who have been working 24/7 in the province and enable them to get some respite and provide additional logistical support,” Tolentino said.

He said the fourth team – composed of 10 people – is led by Corazon Agulan.  

The MMDA contingent has three K-9 dogs, underground camera sensors, and generator sets.

Water sanitation

With water supply still scarce, the military said it has sent water sanitation teams and equipment to evacuation areas.

Armed Forces public affairs chief Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said Army and Navy experts would install water purifiers in areas where survivors have been staying since Tuesday.

He said the purifier is capable of converting up to 32,000 liters of non-drinking water into potable water in an hour. 

Three Navy ships have also been deployed to Bohol to deliver relief goods. A C-130 cargo plan also transported 25,000 lbs. of donation from Manila.

Zagala said the AFP’s search team is composed of 48 officers and 511 enlisted personnel from the 2nd Special Forces Battalion and 53rd Engineering Brigade.

“The AFP Central Command also deployed a total of 233 trucks to help in clearing, evacuation and other humanitarian assistance operations in gravely affected areas,” he said.

The Office of the Vice President and the Makati City government have also deployed relief and rescue teams to Bohol and Cebu City.

“I have seen firsthand the destruction that the earthquake has brought upon Cebu and Bohol. I assure our people that the government will be with them every step of the way as they gain their life back,” Vice President Jejomar Binay said yesterday. Alexis Romero, Rainier Ronda, Mike Frialde, Jose Rodel Clapano, Evelyn Macairan