Search for Sofia suspended after four days as family, elders call for rest

Sagada, Mt. Province - After four days of continuous searching, the family and elders of missing 17-year-old Sofia Isabela Magalgalit Oria from Sagada, Mt. Province requested the suspension of the regular search operation beginning Thursday, August 13, to allow rescuers, volunteers, and others involved in the search to rest.

The decision was announced through Barangay Dagdag with the message, “Umilleng Tako is Sin-agew,” reflecting the recognition of Sofia’s family and community elders of the physical and emotional exhaustion experienced by those who have tirelessly participated in the search.

However, the suspension of the regular operation does not mean that all efforts to find Sofia have stopped. According to official information from the Barangay Local Government of Dagdag, limited searching will continue through selected women from Sofia’s family and women members of the community.

Meanwhile, the Search Sofia Operation Center at the Dagdag Base will remain operational and on standby to provide assistance whenever needed. Personnel from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), SERVS, and community members will also continue reporting to the Operations Command Post (OCP) in Dagdag as efforts to locate Sofia continue.

Sofia’s disappearance

Sofia, a resident of Barangay Demang, Sagada, Mountain Province, was last seen at around 7 p.m. on August 8, 2026. She was reported missing at around 1 a.m. on August 9, prompting authorities, local officials, community members, guides, and volunteers to launch a search operation.

Search teams have since checked mountainous areas, thick vegetation, steep terrain, and waterways around Sagada, with the operation continuing despite difficult conditions brought by recent rains. As of the latest available update, Sofia had not yet been located.

The family continues to appeal to anyone who may have information about Sofia’s whereabouts to immediately coordinate with authorities or local officials.