Magnitude 7 tremor kills 5, damages heritage sites
A MAGNITUDE 7 earthquake hit Abra yesterday, leaving at least five people dead and over a hundred injured in the province and other areas in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said the earthquake affected 6,756 barangays in 15 cities, 280 towns, 15 provinces in CAR and in the Ilocos and Cagayan Valley regions.
At least 58 landslides were reported, of which 31 occurred in Abra, Abalos also said.
The quake that occurred at 8:43 a.m. also caused damage to property in many areas, mostly in the CAR, and to heritage sites in nearby regions.
As of 7 p.m. yesterday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has recorded 343 aftershocks.
Phivolcs director Renato Solidum said the strongest of the aftershocks was magnitude 5.4 that occurred at 3:38 p.m. More aftershocks are expected in the next two to three days. He said these aftershocks still pose danger, adding these might lead to the collapse of structures that were previously damaged.
The quake’s epicenter was 3 km northwest of Tayum, Abra. It is tectonic in origin and had a depth of 17 km.
The quake was felt also in the National Capital Region (Metro Manila) where several buildings were evacuated, with some people forced to flee from the 30th floor of one building.
Metro rail systems were halted at rush hour.
Sen. Imee Marcos, who is from Ilocos Norte in the Ilocos Region (Region 1), said a lot of heritage sites have been damaged, including bell towers of cathedrals in Sarrat and Laoag, both in Ilocos Norte. Structures along the famous Calle Real in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur were also destroyed.
“The antique bricks and coral stones fell down from the Bantay Bell Tower,” she said.Church officials said several old churches were damaged.
‘MAJOR’ QUAKE
Solidum said aftershocks will be frequent in the next two days.
“We consider it as a major earthquake… We would expect significant efforts from this this event,” said Solidum.
He also said there was significant damage in Vigan City because the city’s foundation “is essentially sandy, because of the river that would flood the area from time to time.”
“So there was amplification of the shaking and many of the churches and historical buildings were damaged,” he said.
Solidum urged residents who houses were damaged by the building to consult engineers before going back due to risk.
Solidum also said there was no risk of tsunami from the quake.
“There was an unusual wave in coastal areas of La Union and Ilocos. This was not a tsunami because a tsunami would be very high waves because of the uplift of the ocean floor due to an earthquake in the ocean,” he said.
“What happened was there was shaking of the island and the water coastal water was shaken so there was minor seawater oscillation, some of the waters actually entered some of the rivers,” he added.
The quake was felt at intensity VII in Bucloc and Manabo in Abra; Intensity VI in Vigan City, Sinait, Bantay, San Esteban in Ilocos Sur, Laoac in Pangasinan and Baguio City; Intensity V in Magsingal and San Juan in Ilocos Sur; Alaminos City and Labrador in Pangasinan, Bambang in Nueva Vizcaya; Mexico in Pampanga, Concepcion and Tarlac City in Tarlac, Manila and Malabon cities; Intensity IV in Marikina City, Quezon City, Pasig City, Valenzuela City, Tabuk in Kalinga; Bautista and Malasiqui in Pangasinan, Bayombong and Diadi in Nueva Vizcaya, Guiguinto, Obando, and San Rafael in Bulacan, San Mateo in Rizal; Intensity III in Bolinao in Pangasinan; Bulakan in Bulacan, and Tanay in Rizal and Intensity II in General Trias City in Cavite and Santa Rosa City in Laguna.
An Instrumental Intensity VII was reported in VIgan City, Intensity V in Laoag City in Ilocos Norte; Peñablanca in Cagayan, Dagupan City in Pangasinan and Sinait in Ilocos Sur and Baguio City.
Abra Rep. Menchie Bernos said her office is coordinating with authorities as to what can be done to assist the affected families.
“This is the strongest earthquake to have impacted our province in recent memory and even the region since the 1990 earthquake in Baguio… Windows of homes were shattered, while walls of establishments showed cracks,” she said.
Ilocos Sur Rep. Eric Singson, told dzMM radio station the quake had been felt strongly there and lasted 30 seconds or more.
“I thought my house would fall,” said Singson. “Now, we are trying to reach people ….
Right now there are aftershocks so we are outside our home.”
Tourist Edison Adducul told radio he was taking photos of the Bantay Church Bell tower in Vigan when the quake struck, shaking the tower for up to three minutes.
CHURCHES
The Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia in Ilocos Sur said several of the churches under its jurisdiction were damaged.
They include the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle in Vigan City, Our Lady of Hope Parish in Caoayan, Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Sta. Maria, Sto. Domingo de Guzman Parish in Sto. Domingo, and the bell tower of the St Augustine of Hippo Parish in Bantay.
“We don’t know yet if there were any injuries,” said Nueva Segovia Archbishop Marlo Peralta in a radio interview.
The Diocese of Bangued said at least two churches were damaged in Abra — Santa Catalina de Alejandria Church in Tayum, and St. Lawrence of Rome Parish in Villaviciosa.
“The ones mostly affected are the church buildings. Most of the people affected sustained minor injuries only,” said Bangued Diocesan Social Action director Fr. Jeffrey Bueno in a separate radio interview.
The social action arm of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said all diocesan social action centers (SACs) in affected areas are conducting rapid assessment.
FATALITIES
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD), the operating arm of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), said four of the fatalities were in CAR — two in Benguet, one in Kalinga and one in Abra.
Most of the victims were hit by falling debris.
OCD deputy chief for operations Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro said the fifth died in Gattaran, Cagayan (Cagayan Valley region). But the local police said it has not recorded any death in the town, adding it recorded only one injured.
NDRRMC spokesman Mark Timbal said the reported fatality in Gattaran was subject to verification. “So if the LGU (local government unit) confirms no fatality via official report, then we will adjust.”
Interior Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr, in a press briefing with President Marcos Jr, said there were four fatalities — two in Benguet, one in Abra, and one in Mountain Province.
“Sixty were injured and so far, four were reported dead,” said Abalos, adding the victims were mostly hit by falling debris. He said 44 of the injured were from Abra.
The CAR regional police office said four died in the region — two in Benguet, and one each in Abra and Kalinga. It said 106 were injured in the region.
CAR police named the four fatalities as Aron Pasiking Col-eteng, 25 (hit by fallen debris in La Trinidad, Benguet); Resty Emperador Tavas, 32 (landslide in Tuba, Benguet); Jonalyn Bilan, 23 (hit by collapsed wall in Bangued, Abra); and Jefferson Basar, 24, (rockfall in Balbalan, Kalinga).
A report provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development said one died in a landslide in Ilocos Sur in Ilocos region. She was identified as Sevia Calatan, 88, of Barangay Man-atong in Suyo.
DAMAGE
Abalos said initial reports showed “road closures in some parts of Abra, power interruptions in Abra and Benguet, intermittent communication lines in Region 1 (Ilocos region), landslides in some parts of CAR, minor damage in other regions.”
Abalos said some 29 roads, three bridges and 173 private and government buildings were damaged in CAR.
Alejandro said OCD recorded 64 injured people, mostly in CAR. He also said municipal buildings and hospitals were damaged in Ilocos Sur. He said heritage sites were also damaged in the province.
Alejandro said the Department of Education reported 61 schools were damaged in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and CAR.
He said three bridges were damaged and 22 roads were closed to traffic and 31 others are partially opened in CAR.
Alejandro said 428 houses were reported damaged — 423 in CAR and five in Ilocos region,
Police said 56 infrastructures were damaged and 36 areas do not have electricity and 31 national and national roads are not passable in CAR.
POWER
The Department of Energy (DOE) said that as of 2 p.m. yesterday, all power generation plants in the country are under normal operations except for Hedcor’s two hydro plants in Mt. Province.
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said that only the Bacnotan-Bulala 69 kilovolt (kV) line in La Union was affected by the earthquake after it tripped at 8:44 a.m. yesterday.
NGCP said the quake caused power interruptions affecting the franchise area of the La Union Electric Cooperative with power interruptions also experienced in parts of Pangasinan, Benguet, Tarlac, and Abra but affected lines were immediately restored.
NGCP noted that normalization of loads came after the energization of the Bacnotan-Bulala 69kV line at 1:07 PM.
Likewise, the DOE said that power lines and facilities serving the National Capital Region are all normal and intact.
For Manila Electric Co., the firm only experienced tripping of two 13.8 kV circuits in Malolos, Bulacan but was reclosed immediately.
The DOE also assured that all downstream oil industry facilities reported no damage and are operational without any reported supply shortage after the earthquake.
EVACUATION
Benguet Rep. Eric Yap said that in Buguias, the Northern Benguet District Hospital evacuated at least 19 patients during the quake. Currently, the hospital is being check for damages in the hospital infrastructure and equipment.
He said there was one confirmed fatality in Poblacion, La Trinidad and other unverified accounts of casualties in other municipalities.
Yap, chair of the committee on appropriations in the previous 18th Congress, also said several national and local roads in the province were declared as not passable to ensure the safety of the motorists. He said at least two weeks is needed to clear these areas which makes accessibility to some communities more difficult.
Capt. Rigor Pamitan, spokesman of the Army’s 5th Infantry Division, said at least 1,729 individuals have been evacuated, citing information from the Abra provincial risk reduction and management office.
Pamitan said 12 roads were closed to traffic and 21 “minor” landslides were also reported in the province.
Pamitan said 51 government buildings, seven commercial buildings and 1,214 houses were damaged also in Abra.
Among the prominent structures that were damaged in Abra were the provincial capitol building and the provincial hospital. “All the patients confined at the hospital were evacuated,” said Pamitan.
Ricardo Jalad, executive officer of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said the quake caused damage in many areas but could immediately elaborate.
Jalad said the NDRRMC is waiting information more information from the field as to the effects.
Jalad said among the structures damaged in Ilocos Sur were the Gabriela Silang General Hospital, Vigan Cathedral and the Bantay Bell Tower.
Jalad said figures on casualty and damage are expected to increase.
Lt. Gen. Ernesto Torres, commander of the AFP’s Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom), ordered military aircraft to conduct aerial survey to determine the extent of the damage caused by the quake.
“Many properties were damaged in Abra… Many highways in Cordillera were closed. There is no electricity in most parts of CAR. CAR is the heavily-hit among regions under our area of responsibility,” said Torres.
RELIEF OPERATIONS
Torres said he has ordered the activation of Nolcom’s disaster response unit so soldiers can help in the ongoing relief operations. “This (unit) is replicated down the line, down to the battalion (level),” he said.
“Based on our general assessment, CAR will be the focus of our relief operations… Some groups have already coordinated with us expressing their intent to help. We are going to help them transport the help they can provide,” said Torres.
DND officer-in-charge and NDRRMC chairman Jose Faustino Jr convened a meeting of the NDRRMC to check on preparedness of units. Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez attended one of the meetings.
“The Armed Forces prepared assets for mobilization already. We are talking about air assets and we could add some more if needed. We have a number of air assets already positioned in the area,” said Faustino.
Faustino said Navy ships have been also put on standby, ready to assist in the relief operations.
Faustino said the OCD has readied relief goods for distribution in case local government units would need them. He noted that there are prepositioned relief goods in the region. — With Raymond Africa, Gerard Naval. Wendell Vigilia, Jed Macapagal and Reuters
