Residents of Talisay, a northern Philippine town, are reeling from a tragic landslide triggered by one of the deadliest storms the country has faced this year. As the storm struck, Raynaldo Dejucos urged his family to stay indoors for safety, unaware that a devastating avalanche was about to occur.
The landslide, which buried homes and left numerous families in despair, hit after Dejucos left to check his fish cages in nearby Lake Taal. The 36-year-old returned to find his family’s home destroyed and five coffins laid side by side in a municipal gym, including that of his wife and two children.
“I was calling out their names, repeatedly asking, ‘Where are you?’” he recalled in anguish.
The town has been deeply affected as the storm has drawn attention to the vulnerabilities of communities living in disaster-prone areas while highlighting the impact of climate change. Many families have settled in Talisay over the decades to cultivate its fertile land, situated dangerously close to Taal, one of the Philippines’ most active volcanoes.
Ongoing economic hardships have forced residents to occupy areas that are known to be at risk. The combination of extreme weather events and poverty has left these communities particularly susceptible to natural disasters.
Fernan Cosme, a local village councilor, remarked that the ridge near Talisay had never posed a major risk until now. The recurring volcanic activity poses another constant threat to the residents.
The tragedy has left families like Kervin de Torres’s grappling with loss, as their loved ones were caught in the landslide. His daughter Kisha was buried in their home as the mud encased her life, while her mother survived the disaster.
As rescue teams scoured the area, locals like Doris Echin narrowly escaped the disaster, recalling the terrifying moment when the mudslide engulfed her up to her waist as she carried her daughters to safety.
Now standing beside her half-buried home, Echin is left pondering their uncertain future. “If we relocate, where will we find the money to build a new house? Which employer will give us jobs?” she asked, emphasizing the precariousness of their situation.
With calls for support and recovery efforts underway, the community of Talisay is left to grapple with the challenges of survival while surrounded by ongoing risks from both geological instability and changing climate conditions.
Credit: ABC News
