DEPARTMENT of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon arrived in Quezon, Bukidnon, on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025 amid a heavy downpour to personally assess the massive road collapse and commit to an ambitious five-month deadline for the completion of reconstruction and the opening of a permanent detour.
The Secretary’s unscheduled visit to the disaster site in Overview, Sitio Kipolot, Brgy. Palacapao, underscores the urgency of restoring a crucial travel artery that was obliterated by a recent landslide.
Immediately upon arrival, Dizon conducted an on-site inspection and convened a high-level meeting with local and regional officials, including Bukidnon Governor Oneil Roque, Quezon Mayor Pablo “Poling” Lorenzo III, DPWH X director Lilibeth Aparecio, and PNP X director Brigadier General Christopher Abarahano.
Crucially, experts from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) were present to discuss soil testing—a prerequisite for the complex reconstruction effort.
The group finalized plans to establish a working detour concept and committed to completing all soil stability testing and road construction within a challenging five-month timeframe.
Search and rescue efforts hindered
While recovery and repair work ramped up, the search for two individuals suspected to have been caught in the landslide was temporarily suspended again on Tuesday afternoon.
Assisted by K9 units from the 403rd Brigade and 10th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, rescue teams identified a strong indication of the possible location of the missing persons.
However, a sudden, heavy downpour at 1:24 PM forced an immediate halt to the operation.
The search is scheduled to resume early Wednesday morning.
In the meantime, local authorities are mobilizing heavy equipment.
A backhoe from the municipality of Quezon has commenced clearing operations at the site, with two additional backhoe units from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office expected to arrive as reinforcements.
The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) has advised the public to use its emergency hotline for any contingencies: 0970621 9407.
