AFTER nearly a week of search and retrieval operations, the bodies of the couple who once survived a deadly landslide in 2024 were recovered, still hugging each other after being buried in another landslide that hit Sitio Kipolot, Barangay Palacapao, Quezon, Bukidnon on October 18, 2025.
Authorities identified the victims as Ely and Thelma Ubatay, residents of Purok 9, Kahusayan, Kitaotao, Bukidnon. The discovery was made around 9:31 a.m. on Wednesday, October 23, five days after the couple went missing when a section of the Davao-Bukidnon (BuDa) Road collapsed amid heavy rains and ground movement.
Municipal Information Officer Forts Cabarde said the couple's bodies were found in each other's arms, a haunting image that moved rescuers who had been digging through tons of soil and debris since the landslide.
Authorities said that the search and rescue dogs -- Venom, Bella, and Paul from the 403rd Brigade and 10th Infantry Division were instrumental in locating the buried victims and their small vehicle, a "bao-bao" or three-wheeler, which had been completely covered by earth and rocks.
The Ubatays were reportedly on their way home from the Quezon Central Market, where they sold vegetables for a living, when the landslide struck late evening.
Tragically, this was not their first encounter with such a disaster. Ely and Thelma were landslide survivors on October 15, 2024, when another soil collapse struck their community in Kitaotao, Bukidnon, claiming the lives of three of their family members.
Days of grueling search
Following the collapse, a joint team composed of personnel from the Quezon Municipal Police Station, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), Philippine Army, Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Municipal Engineering Office (MEO), and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) worked tirelessly to locate the missing couple.
Rescue operations were initially conducted manually due to the unstable terrain before heavy equipment was brought in to reach the buried area. The joint effort was further supported by barangay officials and community volunteers.
Impact and road closure
The landslide rendered a major portion of the BuDa Road impassable, cutting off one of Northern Mindanao's main arteries that connects Bukidnon to Davao City. Engineers from the DPWH Bukidnon 2nd District Engineering Office, led by Assistant District Engineer Manuel Varias and Construction Division Chief Rey Emeterio, have been assessing the damage and identifying safe alternate routes.
Following the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon ordered the immediate deployment of teams to the site and the temporary closure of the affected road section to ensure public safety and allow the safe transport of essential goods between Bukidnon and Davao.
Motorists are advised to take alternate routes, including Valencia City-San Fernando-Talaingod-Kapalong, or travel through Maramag, Damulog, Carmen, Kabacan, Matalam, Kidapawan, Bansalan and Digos City for those heading to Davao.
Local impact
In an earlier interview, Quezon Mayor Pablo Lorenzo expressed concern over the economic impact of the road's closure. "The economy is truly affected, especially the movement of people and goods," he said, urging the DPWH to fast-track the establishment of a sustainable diversion road.
The mayor also noted that the landslide might have been caused by erosion from underground water, worsened by recent rains and a magnitude 5.5 earthquake that struck Surigao del Sur on October 18 and was felt across Bukidnon. RGP