Search ramps up for missing hiker on Mt. Kalatungan in Bukidnon

PANGANTUCAN, Bukidnon — Police and volunteer mountaineers have intensified their search and rescue operation for a 31-year-old hiker, who was reported missing on Mt. Kalatungan after joining a mountain climb on June 11.The missing hiker from Valencia City, Bukidnon, was identified as Alkharj Gomez Zamayla, who was last seen on June 12 while traversing the mountain range.

READ: 2 stranded hikers rescued in Zambales mountainsAccording to his family, Zamayla was spotted asking two fellow hikers for water on Mt. Kalatungan before he went missing.Lt. Eder Oliveros, deputy chief of the Pangantucan Municipal Police Station, said authorities are conducting an investigation and coordinating with organizers of the “Freedom Climb – Mt. Kilakiron Traverse to Mt. Kalatungan,” which reportedly drew around 60 participants.Oliveros said initial inquiries indicate that Zamayla’s name was allegedly not included in the official list of climbers submitted for tourism permits required for organized mountain expeditions.His disappearance was reported to authorities on June 14, prompting search and rescue efforts involving local guides, volunteer mountaineers, and police personnel.According to Zamayla’s fiancée, Bless Joy Porras, the missing hiker was accompanied by a friend and a local guide during the climb.She said he was not a professional mountaineer but occasionally joined hiking activities.The Mt. Kalatungan climb was reportedly his first attempt to summit the country’s fifth-highest mountain, which rises about 2,880 meters above sea level.Police said about 30 local climbers and guides have joined the search operation in the rugged mountain terrain.Authorities appealed to the public, particularly hikers and residents who may have seen Zamayla on or after June 12, to immediately report any information that could help locate the missing hiker./coa

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