A massive search and rescue operation continues in southern Bukidnon for a 31-year-old hiker who went missing while climbing Mt. Kalatungan, the country’s fifth-highest peak.
The Bukidnon Provincial Police Office has issued high-alert flyers seeking public information on the whereabouts of Alkharj Gomez Zamayla, 31. Zamayla is an industrial safety officer and a resident of Valencia City, Bukidnon.
Police authorities stated Zamayla was part of an organized group trekking the 9,450-foot mountain but became separated from his companions while traversing the trail between Barangay Portulin and Barangay Mendis in the town of Pangantucan on June 12. Read Missing hiker case raises safety questions on organized climbs
"He was last seen on June 12, 2026, between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. near a river a few minutes before Camp 1," the official police report said.
Rescue Teams Deploy to High-Altitude Sectors
Three specialized search teams composed of personnel from the Pangantucan local government, police units, and volunteer hikers combed the dense mountain terrain over the weekend but discovered no trace of Zamayla.
His sister, Chola Zamayla-Biasca, said a fourth search team deployed on June 15 also returned from the mountain tracks without finding the missing hiker.
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"They sent a message that as of 3:20 p.m. today, June 15, they have not found my brother, but they will continue the search," Biasca said.
Family Holds Out Hope as Trail Reports Surface
Biasca noted that several independent hikers told emergency rescuers they encountered Zamayla along the trail on the day he disappeared, where he reportedly asked them for water.
Despite successive setbacks and low visibility across the high-altitude wilderness, the family remains hopeful that a fifth search team scheduled for deployment will locate Zamayla alive.
Local authorities are urging anyone with information that could help locate Zamayla to immediately contact the nearest municipal police station or the Bukidnon Provincial Police Office headquarters.
