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SITUATIONER
1. On or about August 6, 2009 at around 7:30 in the morning, nine (9) French and Belgian tourists on board two (2) all-weather vehicles checked-in and registered at the Mt. Pinatubo Spa Town office in Brgy. Sta. Juliana, Capas, Tarlac to experience the so-called Mt. Pinatubo trek.
2. The names of the team members are: Philippe Navarre, Beatrice le Guyader, Philippe Guinebert, Marie France Fouchard, Didier Bazin, Helene Diaga Radjou (team leader), Martine Cholet, Thierry Chillot, and Belgian Walter Steylemans.
3. When the group was already on top of the volcano crater, a heavy downpour caught up with them, forcing them to hurriedly drive back to the village. But as they were about to cross the O’ Donnell river, they were met by a deluge of speeding floodwater prompting them to seek refuge on the mountainside.
4. As they waited for the calming of the floodwaters, an unexpected avalanche of sand and boulders fell on them causing some to successfully squeeze their way out of the strait. Unfortunately, three of them, namely Martine Cholet, Thierry Chillot and Belgian Walter Steylemans, didn’t quite make it. Their bodies were recovered a day after by the combined forces of local residents, Phil. Airforce and Army contingent.
5. Four other locals died in the flashflood and avalanche. They are Mando Bacani, Fidel Reyla (alleged miners); one alleged Aeta guide of miners; and Fernando Ordonio (local guide).
6. Luckily, that evening when rescue was impossible due to bad weather, the surviving group were led by their local guides to a nearby nipa hut to spend the night away. The members of the family household thereat were so generous to offer them food and warm clothes for the night.
7. The following day, August 7, the surviving members were rescued back to the village by a certain Friday Lacsamana on board a carabao-driven cart amidst slightly strong current at the treacherous O’ Donnell river but not without broken ribs and bones for one (Philippe Guinebert) and slight bruises for the others.
8. As of this date, the cadavers of the three are still confined at the Funeraria Mallari in Tarlac awaiting repatriation back home while the surviving tourists are well attended by Ms. Verna Buensuceso of Team Euro and her staff Maritess Ballester.
9. As of this date, the police report and death certificates of the victims have yet to be issued by local authorities in Capas, Tarlac.
10. The surviving members of the team are expected to fly back to their country of origin this afternoon with the assistance of the staff from Team Euro.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. That the Department of Tourism issue a travel advisory warning the tourism public against traveling to Sta. Juliana, Capas, Tarlac to trek the heights of Mt. Pinatubo during the rainy months of June to September of every year.
2. That the department issue an advisory warning the tourism public against the same activity indefinitely until such time that the local authorities including the Korean-owned Pull Development Corp (PDC) shall have secured the necessary clearances or permits from the concerned government agencies such as DENR (for the required environmental clearance certificate), Phivolcs (for seismic testing) or DPWH (for technical advisory). It is highly recommended that they be required to put in place the necessary mitigating measures like slope protection on the skyway to prevent erosion or landslides. Let this advisory be disseminated to all travel and tour agencies, tour operators including embassies and consulates for proper action.
3. That the department issue a statement advising the closure of the trekking activity in Sta. Juliana, Capas, Tarlac indefinitely until such time that local authorities shall have conducted extensive training programs on life-saving techniques, mountain guiding techniques, and proper management of the ecotourism program thereat, and further advising them to disallow PDC from operating the trekking program and to transfer the same authority to a more competent agency.
(Original Signed)
RONALDO P. TIOTUICO
Regional Director
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