QUEZON, Bukidnon (October 27, 2025) — Rescuers’ dedication was spotlighted when, after nearly six days of grueling operations, they recovered the bodies of Ely Ubatay Sr. and his wife, Thelma, found locked in each other’s arms under the rubble of a landslide that recently hit the Bukidnon–Davao Road in Sitio Kipolot, Barangay Palacapao

Mayor Pablo Lorenzo III said the couple’s children confirmed their identities after responders found them at 9:31 a.m. on October 23.

“Their recovery brought closure to a family who waited anxiously for nearly a week. It also marked the end of an operation that tested the endurance and teamwork of more than 400 rescuers,” Lorenzo said.

Records from the Municipal Enterprise Management Office showed the Ubatays, both 60 years old, were longtime vegetable vendors from Kipolot.

They were driving along the National Highway shortly after 7 p.m. on Oct. 18 aboard their tricycle, locally known as a “Bao-bao,” when a landslide swept it away, burying the couple within seconds.

Rescuers from the Municipal Public Safety and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MPSO-DRRMO), along with emergency workers from the Municipal Engineering Office, the Philippine National Police, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, quickly launched search operations. But as Mayor Lorenzo said, they had to pause briefly due to continuous ground movement that endangered responders.

“Despite the danger, our teams never gave up. They resumed work immediately under unpredictable weather and unstable soil conditions to locate the couple. Reinforcements later arrived from the DRRMOs of Bukidnon—Valencia City, Dangcagan, Kalilangan, Kadingilan, Maramag, and Damulog. K-9 units from the Army’s 10th Infantry Division and 403rd Infantry Brigade, along with the provincial police force, also joined the search,” the mayor said.

To speed up operations, Bukidnon’s DRRMO deployed ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to detect possible signs of victims under the debris.

For the first 72 hours, responders used GPR equipment and K-9 units despite heavy rainfall and unstable terrain. However, no traces of the couple surfaced.

By October 21, after 72 hours without contact, authorities reclassified the mission from ‘search and rescue’ to ‘search and retrieval’ in line with disaster response protocols. Road-clearing efforts began with a backhoe from Quezon LGU, later joined by two more units from the provincial DRRMO to clear thick soil covering the highway.

Lorenzo said heavy rains again halted work on Oct. 22, delaying operations until weather conditions improved.

Before dawn on Oct. 23, teams resumed digging with the aid of search-and-rescue dogs from Opol, Misamis Oriental, and the AFP. By 9:31 a.m., rescuers located the Ubatays nearly 10 meters deep—a recovery that proved extremely difficult despite advanced equipment and coordinated manpower.

That same day, the family laid the couple to rest at Quezon Municipal Cemetery.

“I am deeply grateful to all the agencies and volunteers who stood with us through six difficult days of search and recovery. We thank Gov. Rogelio Neil Roque and the Bukidnon provincial DRRMO teams, our police, soldiers, firefighters, and DPWH Region 10 for their unwavering support and cooperation,” the mayor said.

He also thanked the DRRMOs of Valencia City, Dangcagan, Kalilangan, Kadingilan, Damulog, Maramag, and Opol, Misamis Oriental, as well as Palacapao’s Punong Barangay Reynaldo Nietes, for their support.

“The Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office continues to assist the Ubatay family during their bereavement. On behalf of the people of Quezon, we extend our heartfelt condolences to their loved ones and ask everyone to give them the space and privacy they need as they grieve,” Lorenzo said.

He emphasized that the outpouring of help showed the spirit of unity that defines Bukidnon in times of tragedy. (RLRB/PIA-10/Bukidnon)