General Santos City, Philippines – Philippine authorities concluded a three-day search and recovery operation after a commercial building collapsed in Barangay Calumpang, resulting in the recovery of two reported missing persons.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), together with partner Search and Rescue (SAR) agencies and the Local Government Unit (LGU), supported efforts to locate and retrieve the victims from beneath the debris.

On 09 June 2026, Coast Guard District Southeastern Mindanao (CGDSEM) working dogs “Tit” and “Tiger” detected possible signs of human presence under the rubble during the early phase of the operation. These findings were later supported by Coast Guard District Northern Mindanao (CGDNM) working dogs “Thalia” and “Siri,” whose follow-up inspections helped guide responders to confirmed search locations.

On 10 June 2026 at approximately 7:23 AM, teams recovered the remains of a 39-year-old male from the identified area.

Search operations continued, and at around 3:40 PM, a human detection device operated by the Philippine Red Cross identified another possible location beneath the collapsed structure. The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Special Rescue Force later confirmed the site, leading to the recovery of the remains of a 28-year-old female resident of Cotabato City at approximately 11:21 PM.

Following the recovery of both individuals, the Incident Commander officially ended operations at approximately 11:30 PM after a final briefing with all responding units.

Officials highlighted inter-agency coordination and the role of K9 units in disaster response under the PCG’s iCARE program, which supports humanitarian assistance, emergency response, and life-saving operations.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download