PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday assured Luzon residents affected by the magnitude 7 earthquake of immediate assistance, as he said he will soon visit Abra, the quake’s epicenter, and other areas to personally check the situation on the ground.
The President, on social media immediately after the morning tremor, told the affected individuals that the government has taken actions to ensure their safety and welfare
“Sa kabila ng nakalulungkot na mga ulat tungkol sa pinsalang dulot ng lindol, ating sinisigurado ang maagap na pagtugon sa mga pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayang apektado ng sakunang ito (Amid the sad report on the damage brought by the earthquake, we assure the immediate and early response to the needs of our countrymen who were affected by this incident),” said Marcos who was in Malacañang when the earthquake hit.
Speaking in Ilocano, he also said, “To my countrymen in Abra, remain vigilant and approach members of government if you need help. We will recover from challenge together. Let us all be careful.”
In a press conference in the afternoon, Marcos said would “stay away” from the affected areas to allow local officials to do their work without distraction. He said he might visit today or “as soon as possible.”
Marcos said Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo, however, has flown to Bangued in Abra to check the situation and ensure food packs and other relief goods are readily distributed to affected communities.
Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez also convened the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) and established communications with local government units (LGUs) concerned to determine what they need from the national government.
“I am staying away from going to the affected areas for a very simple reason: It has been my experience as governor, it has been my experience in (typhoon) `Yolanda’ that when the national officers come to the affected areas immediately, ginugulo lang namin ‘yung trabaho ng mga local (we just disrupt the work of the local officials),” Marcos said.
The President said if he visits this time, he would also need the police to secure him and he would meet with local officials to brief him when they should be on the ground attending to the people.
“So, I said, let them do their work. Let us wait for them to tell us what is going to be – what the true situation is and maybe I can schedule a trip perhaps tomorrow (Thursday) as soon as possible,” he added.
Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said Marcos has been coordinating with the NDRRMC and the Department of Social Welfare since the quake struck.
Tulfo, who also flew to Vigan in Ilocos Sur late yesterday, said the President ordered him to go to Abra within 30 minutes after the earthquake.
COMMUNICATIONS
Angeles said the President also called on the telecommunication companies to provide immediate assistance and free communication to all locations where towers have gone down.
Marcos, in the briefing, said Globe Telecoms is providing emergency cellsites while Smart Communications has yet to respond.
He said his main concern is ensuring the supply of electricity and water. He said the restoration of communication lines may be dependent on the availability of electricity.
Marcos also said that he learned from local officials that many establishments suffered structural damage. He said further inspection would be done to ensure the soundness of buildings, and even homes, before people are allowed to return. He expressed said aftershocks may affect the stability of structures. He recalled that during a strong earthquake in the 1990s, many people died in Baguio City after structures collapse during aftershocks.
The National Telecommunications Commission issued a memorandum directing all public telecommunication entities to provide free calls and free charging services from July 27 to August 5 in areas affected by the quake.
Globe said it has deployed a “Libreng Tawag, Libreng Charging and Libreng WiFi” station to the Bangued Plaza in Abra, adjacent to Lagangilang town, epicenter of the temblor.
Globe said its service has been stable as the quake had no impact on its network infrastructure.
PLDT and Smart said they have deployed personnel and mission-critical equipment to set up #LibrengTawag (free calls) stations in Abra and Ilocos Sur.
PLDT deployed power generators in areas with no power connections. “Emergency power generators are active in our towers where available and we are working with power companies and local government units to help restore services as soon as possible,” it said.
CALAMITY DECLARATION
Marcos said there is yet no need to declare a state of calamity or emergency in any area.
He said at least three regions should be heavily affected to warrant a declaration of a state of calamity. In this case, he said, only two regions — Ilocos (Region I) and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) — have been heavily affected.
Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos earlier said the Cagayan Valley (Region II) was also affected.
The President also emphasized the importance of having a Department of Disaster Resilience, saying extreme weather conditions being experienced by other countries due to climate change may eventually hit the “disaster-prone” Philippines.
“These are the things that we have to be careful of. We need more capability than we have now. We are already experienced in terms of typhoons. We already now what to do during earthquakes. But in times of danger, the dangers that the effects of climate change present, are different, that’s why we need a specialist agency,” he said in mixed Filipino and English.
Marcos said he and the others in Malacañang knew there was an earthquake because a chandelier in his office was swinging.
Angeles said the President and his family were all “unharmed” during the quake.
Employees in the Malacañang complex evacuated the buildings during the earthquake and stayed either at parking lots or streets outside the gated buildings. They returned to the offices after an inspection of the offices was done.
CLASSES
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) asked the Department of Education to suspend all in-school activities in affected areas.
ACT chairperson Vladimer Quetua said the DepEd should not wait for local authorities to do so.
“DepEd should suspend physical enrollment and face-to-face remedial and enrichment classes, and inspect all school buildings to check their safety before resuming in-school activities,” Quetua said.
“Schools now need the quick response of DepEd, the DPWH, and local government units for the needed repairs and alternative plans as to how to prepare for school opening and face-to-face classes,” he added.
Quetua said his group has received reports that Marikina and Makati have ordered the dismissal of all those in school for enrolment and enrichment classes.
“Parañaque also already sent city hall employees home, they also postponed the giving of allowances to students,” he added.
DepEd spokesperson Michael Tan Poa said they are still checking with their regional and division offices in affected areas if there are damaged schools.
Asked if Vice President and concurrent Education Secretary Sara Duterte Carpio will visit the affected area, Poa said he would check first with the former, who he added, is attending a meeting.
Meanwhile, Supreme Court spokesperson Brian Keith Hosaka said the regional trial courts of Malabon City, the Hall of Justice in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan, the regional trial courts and metropolitan trial courts of Lingayen and Branch 1 and 2 of the municipal trial courts in cities in San Fernando, La Union have also temporarily suspended their operations due to the earthquake.
ASSISTANCE
Tulfo said an initial P6 million in assistance has been released and 1,000 food boxes delivered to Abra. He said 5,000 to 6,000 additional food boxes from the DSWD’s regional warehouse were expected to be delivered within the day.
He said 70 houses, 20 government buildings and three bridges in the province were damaged by the quake.
Tulfo said there were landslides in seven towns — Bucloc, Daguiman, Malibcong, Manabo, Pidigan, Wew, and Tineg. The towns of Tubo, Daguiman, Bucluc, and Lacub were isolated.
The DSWD-Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC) said it monitored landslides in Mt. Province and Abra as well as in Benguet that affected Marcos Highway and the Ambulao Road Beckel.
It also monitored that internet and electricity services in parts of Baguio had been affected.
DSWD said the department has P1.364 billion worth of funds and food and non-food items on stand by and ready for distribution.
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Program (NDRRMP) Fund is available to tap for relief operations. There is also a quick response fund (QRF) that may be mobilized.
The Department of Public Works and Highways deployed quick response team to assess the national roads, bridges and public infrastructure.
Fourteen national roads were impassable to traffic due to rock fall, soil collapse, and safety reasons as a result of the earthquake.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its attached agencies said airports, railways and seaports have resumed normal operations.
Baguio Airport is being monitored as some minor cracks in some facilities have been discovered.
The Light Rail Transit line 1 (LRT-1), LRT-2, Philippine National Railways and the Metro Rail Transit line 3 (MRT-3) resumed operations before noon yesterday, according to DOTr.
Several ports under the control of the Philippine Ports Authority reported normal operations. — With Ashzel Hachero and Myla Iglesias
