By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — Public works Secretary Vince Dizon said that more than 20 individuals are still believed buried beneath the wreckage of a collapsed nine-story building under construction in Barangay Balibago, Angeles City, Pampanga.
The public works chief visited the disaster site at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s instruction as emergency teams intensified search-and-rescue operations.
Dizon said rescuers have monitored possible signs of life from underneath the debris, prompting authorities to proceed carefully with manual extraction efforts.
The Angeles City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office confirmed that at least 26 people had already been rescued after first responders arrived at the scene shortly after the collapse.
According to Dizon, heavy equipment from the Department of Public Works and Highways has been positioned nearby but remains unused while rescuers work to avoid destabilizing the structure further.
Authorities are still waiting for approval from the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and city officials before deploying machinery.
Additional rescue support, including K9 units from the Department of Transportation and the Philippine Coast Guard, has also been mobilized to assist in locating trapped workers.
Dizon described the situation as highly dangerous, noting that loose scaffolding, exposed steel bars, and unstable slabs continue to threaten rescue personnel operating on site.
Investigators have yet to officially determine the cause of the collapse, though heavy rainfall prior to the incident is being considered as a possible factor.
ia/xf
