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MANILA, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Two miners trapped for a week in a flooded gold mine in the northern Philippines were rescued alive on Monday after surviving on sips of water from a two-litre bottle and hopes were rising of a third survivor.

"We had a sighting of another one. He is weak but alive. We are bringing him oxygen," George Baywong, a rescue official, told Reuters.

An estimated 16 people were trapped in the mine in the province of Benguet after a portion collapsed in heavy rain brought by a typhoon on Sept. 22. Two bodies have been recovered so far.

"The rescuers heard some screaming so there's a big possibility that there could be others still alive," Nestor Fongwan, the governor of Benguet, told local television.

Navy divers rescued the two men, who were rushed to hospital. A bottle of water meant for several hours of work saved their lives.

"They were only drinking water from their two-litre Coke container bottle," said Jaylord Panio, a brother of one of the survivors.

Heavy rain and a lack of oxygen tanks had hampered the rescue operation and last week officials had said there was virtually no hope of finding any of the miners alive. A break in the rain helped rescue efforts on Monday.

"We are now working on a 24-hour basis, we would like to take advantage of the good weather," said Baywong.

The mine has been abandoned by the mining company that used to operate it, but many local people still enter it to scavenge for ore. Local community leaders said they believed 18 people were inside when it collapsed, but some officials said the number was 16.

Landslides and flash floods are common across the Philippine archipelago during the monsoon months between May and October, near mining areas, as well as low-lying and coastal areas. (Reporting by Rosemarie Francisco and Manolo Serapio Jr; Editing by Carmel Crimmins and Valerie Lee)

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