Rockslides destroy houses, flatten car, kill family dog in Baguio

Baguio City, Philippines - A rockslide triggered by Severe Tropical Storm “Crising” sent massive boulders crashing into houses and a parked car along Kennon Road in Barangay Camp 7, Baguio City on Saturday afternoon, July 19.

Eight families composed of 32 individuals were affected in two boulder fall incidents, according to Baguio City Public Information Office, citing reports from City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

The first occurred at 1:15 p.m. when a massive boulder crushed a house and a car. Even larger rock mass fell at around 5 p.m. that same day.

Fortunately, the residents in the area evacuated before the boulders hit. However, one of the family’s pet dogs was killed.

Videos, including a CCTV clip, of the scene showed what appeared to be a dog in the path of the falling rock went viral, sparking concern online.

On Sunday, an animal rescue’s Facebook page “ASPIN Tunay at Tapat” clarified that the dog in the video, a female named Moana, survived and was rescued.

The group relayed that the family reached out to them to share what really happened, emphasizing that the dogs were never abandoned.

Accordingly, the family owned two dogs, namely Moana and an exotic bully that was not visible in the video. The latter was in a nearby cage and did not survive the incident.

The group shared that the family has been living nearby while renovating the garage where the dogs were kept. The pets were fed daily and had not been abandoned.

“They are heartbroken over the loss and deeply affected by what took place. It was never something they wanted... they are grieving, too. We share this not to cast blame, but to honor the life of a beloved pet who stayed behind and didn’t make it,” the animal rescue page stated.

“…and to gently remind others: In times of disaster, please include your animals in your plans. If you truly can’t bring them, please do not tie or cage them. Give them a chance to survive. Their loyalty deserves our protection,” it added.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong, in a press briefing this Monday, informed that there were no reported injuries or fatalities in the city, “except for one of our dogs.”

As of writing, Kennon Road remains closed due to safety risks.

Personnel from the CDRRMO, City District Engineering Office, and barangay officials have been working to assess the damage and to prevent further similar incidents