Missing French national found alive in Mountain Province

Rescuers found a missing 70-year-old French national alive seven days after he was last seen at Barlig, Mountain Province.

The Frenchman was identified as Jacques Francioly, who has been reported missing since January 4.

Barlig town Mayor Clark Ngaya reported on January 22 that tourist guide Shadrack Cablog found the missing tourist at a ravine at Sitio Sikling, Barangay Latang. Cablog was part of the search and rescue team looking for Francioly.

The team immediately brought the Frenchman to the Barlig District Hospital. He was then transferred to the Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital in Abatan, Bauko, Mountain Province, for further medical treatment.

Barlig Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (MDRRMO), Municipal Police Station (MPS), and Barlig’s tourism office lead the search operations. Barangay officials of Gawana, Fiangtin, Macalana, Latang, Lingoy and Barlig community volunteers also joined the search.

Missing French national found alive in Mountain Province

According to Barlig MPS, Edelwina Pakurao Manonggit, manager of Halfway Inn and Restaurant located at Gawana, went to the Barlig MPS to report that Francioly checked-in at their inn on January 13.

Manonggit said that on January 14, the Frenchman left the inn around 8:30 a.m. informing restaurant staff Juliet Chongael that he will go around the municipality for sight-seeing.

Francioly also told Chongael that he would make onetime payment for his bills at the inn and restaurant. However, they noticed that the foreigner has not returned, but his belongings were still inside his room.

Barlig tourism officer Janssen Focad revealed that tourist guides asked Francioly if he would go for hiking the night before he went missing.

They said the Frenchman told them he could not go and that he will be going to the nearby municipality of Natonin.