More than 1,500 residents living in five remote upland communities in Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental remain difficult to reach for relief operations after landslides triggered by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake on June 8 damaged roads and cut off access routes to their areas.
According to information released by the local government, the affected sitios are Kidaman, Makina, Kawayan, Pasakan and Pikong. Authorities said the communities can no longer be reached by vehicles, while travel on foot has also become difficult and potentially dangerous because of landslide-prone sections along the routes.
Mayor Jason John Joyce said reaching the isolated communities from the center of Kalbay requires an estimated 10-hour trek. He noted that much of the route consists of uphill terrain, with several portions affected by landslides caused by the earthquake.
Data shared by the local government showed that the five sitios are home to a total of 300 households, or approximately 1,500 individuals. The breakdown includes 67 households in Kidaman, 89 in Makina, 53 in Kawayan, 65 in Pasakan and 26 in Pikong.
The situation has already been reported to the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) as local authorities seek ways to deliver assistance to residents who have been cut off from regular transportation routes following the June 8 earthquake.
Local officials are also hoping that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) can conduct an airlift operation to transport relief goods to the affected communities.
As of posting time, no official schedule for a possible airlift operation has been announced. Coordination efforts, however, are ongoing to ensure that assistance reaches the isolated residents as soon as possible.
