A massive crack cuts through the Davao-Bukidnon Road in Sitio Marahan, Barangay Marilog Proper, Davao City, revealing the extent of the landslide that struck on the night of July 17. The incident left 11 houses destroyed or partially damaged, according to the Davao City Social Welfare and Development Office. Photo from DPWH-11.
VALENCIA CITY, Bukidnon — What began as an ordinary drive home turned into a story of survival for Engr. Winnie Angit, planning and development coordinator of the local government of Kitaotao, Bukidnon, who unknowingly passed through the Marilog road section just minutes before a massive landslide struck on the evening of July 17.
Angit was driving home to Sinuda, Kitaotao, after an engagement in Davao City when he crossed Sitio Marahan, Barangay Marilog Proper—the same stretch of the Davao-Bukidnon Road that collapsed at around 7 p.m.
About 20 minutes after arriving home, he opened social media and learned about the landslide.
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READ: Road collapse cuts off major Bukidnon–Davao highway
“I was there just minutes before the earth came down. Thank you, God,” Angit recalled, saying he later realized that he and several other motorists had narrowly escaped the disaster—and possible death.
According to the Davao City Social Welfare and Development Office, the landslide and road slip damaged 11 houses. Five were destroyed after being swept down the slope, while six others were partially damaged or left precariously hanging along the road’s edge.
READ: Landslides disrupt Northern Mindanao transport sector
The landslide also forced the closure of the affected section of the Davao-Bukidnon Road, prompting the Department of Public Works and Highways-11 (DPWH-11) to divert traffic through the Datu Ladayon–Katipunan–Campo Uno alternate route.
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DPWH-11 has since advised motorists to exercise caution, noting that continuous rains have made parts of the detour slippery.
Only light vehicles are allowed to use the Campo Uno section, while heavy vehicles are directed to take the longer Maramag–Carmen–Kabacan–Digos–Davao Road. /mcm
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