The bodies of the six were recovered after they were buried in a landslide near the mountain town of Monkayo, said town councillor Glenda Veralino. An earlier report said the landslide occurred near Sitio Dipo.

Three of the dead were believed to be children, according to civil defence official Antonio Clomo.

The landslide occurred late Thursday after heavy rain loosened soil above a group of shacks.

"There are many rescuers from all over the province. The army, the police are here. We have three bulldozers and a payloader" aiding in the search, said Veralino.

Relatives have confirmed two people are still missing after the landslide, she said.

"There is talk going around that there were a lot of people in the area who may have also been buried by the landslide but so far we only have two who cannot be accounted for," Veralino said.

Hours after she spoke, the sixth body -- the mother of the three dead children -- was found by rescuers. This left only one person unaccounted for.

The digging continued into the night despite drizzling rain which raised fears of a new landslide.

The area, which is located about 200 kilometres (125 miles) east of Davao City, is littered with shanty towns where most of the residents manage to scrape together a living from dangerous, unregulated, small-scale mining.

"The government has declared much of the area a geo-hazard and not suitable for housing," Clomo said.

"The government has told residents that they should leave the area for safer ground during heavy downpours but the warnings are usually ignored."

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