Search continues for missing hiker in Bukidnon

PANGANTUCAN, Bukidnon — Search and rescue operations continue for a 31-year-old hiker who went missing on Mt. Kalatungan, the country’s fifth-highest peak, a week after he was last seen on June 12.

Lt. Eder Oliveros, deputy chief of the Pangantucan Municipal Police Station, said a total of 129 volunteers, soldiers, disaster response personnel, environment office staff, and local guides have joined the search for Alkharj Gomez Zamayla.

READ: Bukidnon trekker remains missing after week-long search

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Authorities have established an incident command center in Barangay Portulin, one of the main entry points to Mt. Kalatungan, to coordinate search efforts. K9 units, drones, and local guides are being utilized as teams continue to follow established trails and review the timeline of Zamayla’s movements.

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Zamayla, a resident of Jasaan, Misamis Oriental, who works in Valencia City, reportedly joined the “Freedom Climb – Mt. Kilakiron Traverse to Mt. Kalatungan,” which drew around 60 participants.

Oliveros said initial inquiries revealed 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 the authorities on June 14.

According to his fiancée, Bless Joy Porras, Zamayla was accompanied by a friend and a local guide during the climb. While he occasionally joined hiking activities, the Mt. Kalatungan trek was reportedly his first attempt to summit the 2,880-meter mountain.

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Christian Esoy of the Pangantucan Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) said an initial team of 30 volunteer rescuers descended from the mountain on Monday without locating the missing hiker.

The ongoing operation now involves personnel from various agencies working on a shifting schedule.

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Some teams continue the ground search while others transport supplies for volunteers stationed on the mountain.

Authorities are also set to deploy a thermal drone requested through the Office of Civil Defense 10 to help scan the mountain’s dense forest cover in hopes of locating Zamayla. /jpv

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