By CESAR JOLITO III
Authorities across Negros Island are racing against time to locate dozens of people still missing in the aftermath of Typhoon “Tino,” but their efforts are being hampered by a shortage of specialized K9 units trained for search and cadaver retrieval.
Irene Bel Ploteña, chief of the Negros Occidental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), said the province remains in urgent need of cadaver-detection K9 units to aid in search and retrieval operations, especially in the mountainous areas of the 5th district.
“Right now, only the Armed Forces of the Philippines has deployed K9 units in La Castellana and La Carlota. We’ve already requested assistance from the Philippine Coast Guard, but their assets were initially dispatched to Cebu,” Ploteña said.
The scarcity of specialized K9s — trained specifically for locating human remains — has slowed retrieval work in several isolated areas still covered in mud and debris after massive flooding and landslides.
The Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO) is also facing similar challenges.
NOPPO spokesperson, Police Lt. Stephen Polinar, said that while there are a few K9 units available, they are primarily trained for narcotics and explosives detection, not search-and-retrieval operations.
“Our K9 teams are not equipped for cadaver searches. We are now coordinating with nearby regions for augmentation,” Polinar explained, emphasizing the urgency as hopes fade for those still missing.
Despite these hurdles, authorities report that most major roads across both provinces are now passable, and power restoration efforts are underway.
Search teams continue to focus on the most affected localities where families remain displaced and waiting for news of their loved ones.
Local officials are appealing for immediate interagency and regional support, stressing that every hour counts in the ongoing retrieval operations.
“We are doing everything we can with what we have,” Ploteña said.
“But the reality is, without the right tools — especially K9s — we risk losing more time and hope,” she added.
In full force
Search and rescue efforts in Negros Occidental’s La Carlota City remain in full force as multiple agencies join hands in locating possible missing persons along the river in Barangay Roberto S. Benedicto, following the onslaught of “Tino.”
As of 9:15 a.m. yesterday, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) confirmed that joint river search operations are ongoing, extending downstream toward Pontevedra town.
The intensified operations involve a 12-member Deployable Response Group from the Coast Guard Station – Northern Negros Occidental, working in coordination with the Philippine Army and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).
The multi-agency operation has been divided into three specialized teams to cover land and water search zones: the Philippine Army Bravo Company and CDRRMO personnel are securing and searching riverbanks and nearby land areas; the BFP Special Rescue Unit is providing ground-based support near the river corridor; the Philippine Coast Guard is conducting water-based search operations using boats and specialized rescue equipment.
Death toll
As of 3:00 p.m. yesterday, the combined death toll across Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental rose to 70, with another 66 individuals still unaccounted for, according to regional disaster officials.
Negros Occidental recorded 53 deaths and 55 missing, with La Castellana remaining the hardest-hit municipality — reporting 12 deaths and 18 missing.
The fatalities include 12 in Moises Padilla, eight in Bago City, eight in Hinigaran town, four in Binalbagan, three in San Carlos City, three in La Carlota City, two in Murcia, and one each in Isabela, Pontevedra, and Himamaylan City.
Negros Oriental, meanwhile, has reported 17 deaths and 11 missing, most of them from Canlaon City, which suffered 16 fatalities, and Vallehermoso town, with one./CJ, WDJ