Bohol quake victims glad miners came for search, rescue efforts

MANILA, Philippines - “We were glad the miners came,” said Ramil, a 30-year-old local volunteer from Sagbayan, Bohol.

The miners he was referring to were the more than 55 members of the search, rescue and retrieval teams from Carmen Copper Corp., Philex Mining Corp., Oceana Gold Philippines, Philsaga Mining Corp., and Bohol Limestone Corp., all belonging to the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (CMOP) and affiliated with the Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association (PMSEA).

Member-companies of CMOP and PMSEA sent their search, rescue and recovery teams to Bohol, bringing with them mining equipment, breathing apparatus, cutters and demolition hammers, generator sets, and first aid kits.

The equipment, the miners later learned, were vital as they encountered landslides, collapsed structures, closed roads, and the absence of water and electricity supplies.

“We reached Bohol and we proceeded to Biga, Antequera where we helped in the search and recovery of two bodies buried by landslides,” said Alvin de la Cruz, a member of the search and rescue team of Philsaga Mining Corp., a mining firm in Agusan del Sur.

“We then proceeded to Sagbayan, Bohol to help in the search and recovery of five victims, all minors, of a landslide in Bayong Falls,” De la Cruz added.

Traveling from Agusan del Sur, De la Cruz and his team proceeded to Bato, Leyte and boarded a barge to cross to Ubay, Bohol. From Ubay, they had to make a courtesy call in the Governor’s Mansion in Tagbilaran City before they could finally proceed with their mission.

“Shovels and hands were all we could use, the boulders were too huge and we needed a backhoe at least,” De la Cruz said.

Traveling in their company van, De la Cruz said his team brought along equipment that were not dependent on electricity, a vital strategy in search, rescue and retrieval operations in remote and devastated areas.

“We brought a small generator for camp survival; we are here to stay until our mission is done,” he said.