Eight members of a family remain buried under a landslide in Barangay Patulang, Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental, as responders continue search and retrieval operations following a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck on June 8.
In an interview with Brigada Davao, Barangay Captain Ray Mark Garces identified the victims as Brayan Mansibad, 41; his wife, Marivic Mansibad, 39, who was pregnant; and their children Marvin, 11, Jellian, 9, and Brayan Jr., 3.
Also buried in the landslide were Galiardo Caluyan, 12, Arjhon Caluyan, 1, and Sherly Simbahan, 43.
According to Garces, an estimated 15 houses were buried in the affected area.
Randolf Castro, one of the first responders at the scene, said the family was possibly having breakfast when the earthquake struck. The sudden ground movement may have prevented them from escaping their homes before the landslide completely buried the structures.
Rescue personnel have been working continuously to excavate the area in search of survivors and recover those who may have died in the incident.
Aside from the search operations, residents are also facing a water supply problem after the landslide covered the barangay’s main water source. Soil and debris from the collapsed slope blocked the normal flow of water, creating a pond-like area and preventing water from reaching lower communities.
As of June 13, 2026, responders were still digging through the landslide site in an effort to locate the victims, whether alive or dead.
Local authorities continue to monitor the situation as recovery and disaster response efforts remain ongoing in the earthquake-hit community.
