Authorities have officially ended search and rescue operations at the site of a collapsed building under construction in Angeles City and will begin retrieval and clearing efforts on Tuesday, May 26, following confirmation that no signs of life remain.

In a statement posted Monday evening, the Angeles City Information Office said the Unified Command System (UCS) terminated search and rescue operations at exactly 8:27 p.m. after a final assessment of the site.

The evaluation, conducted using a life locator device by a team from the Pasig City local government, consistently showed no indications of survivors trapped beneath the debris. Based on the findings, the Incident Command System (ICS) decided to cease rescue efforts.

Officials said operations will shift to retrieval and clearing beginning Tuesday morning, marking a transition from efforts to locate survivors to recovering remains and removing debris from the site.

Despite the change in operations, Angeles City Mayor Carmelo “Jon” Lazatin II directed all teams to maintain respect and dignity in handling the victims’ remains throughout the recovery process.

An initial Incident Action Plan for the next phase was also presented and discussed during a briefing Monday night, authorities said, as teams prepare for the systematic clearing of the collapse site.

As of May 25, the number of casualties has climbed to four dead, while 17 individuals remain trapped or missing, according to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Central Luzon.