THE number of persons affected by the magnitude 7 quake that hit Abra on Wednesday last week rose to more than 300,000 or nearly a hundred thousand more compared to the previous day’s count.
In a situation report, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council placed the number of affected population affected by the calamity at 82,336 families or 314,161 individuals.
The affected are mostly from the worst-hit Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) with 55,516 families or 201,457 individuals. The rest are from the Ilocos and Cagayan Valley regions, the NDRRMC also said.
Of the affected, 8,535 families or 34,291 individuals are still displaced — 1,113 families or 3,891 individuals who are staying in evacuation centers and 7,422 families or 30,400 individuals who are outside evacuation centers.
The NDRRMC said P11.67 million in assistance has been provided as of yesterday, P10.98 million of which was given to worst-hit Abra which is under a state of calamity.
The number of fatalities remained at 10 nine in CAR and one in Ilocos. The NDRRMC also said 355 of the 375 injured are from CAR.
Human Settlements Secretary Jose Acuzar ordered the release of up to P30,000 shelter assistance per family in CAR, whose houses were damaged by the earthquake.
Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo, in Facebook post, said Acuzar coordinated with his department about the grant of shelter assistance after he was appointed secretary of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development last Friday.
Tulfo said the assistance will be in addition to the P10,000 emergency shelter assistance that DSWD is extending to the families whose houses were destroyed or damaged during the quake.
Tulfo said Acuzar also pledged to provide house and lot assistance to families whose homes could no longer be repaired.
Data from DSWD-Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center as of July 31 showed 20,533 houses were damaged in Region I (Ilocos), Region II (Cagayan Valley) and the CAR.
‘DISASTER PROOF’
President Marcos Jr. on Saturday emphasized the importance of building “disaster-proof” communities and making the country more resilient to disasters.
In his 220th vlog, Marcos talked about the damage resulting from the earthquake, including to homes, schools and government offices, as well as some heritage sites such as centuries-old churches and watch towers.
“We need to restore them immediately that’s why all the structures we will build should be disaster-proof, from roads to buildings, schools, hospitals, and even the houses,” he said in mixed Filipino and English.
Among the damaged cultural and heritage sites in Abra and Ilocos Sur were centuries-old churches Tayum and Sta. Catalina de Alexandria churches, Vigan Cathedral, the Bantay bell tower, and the iconic Calle Crisologo in Vigan.
Marcos thanked all those who sent aid.
The DSWD, local government units (LGUs), non-governmental organizations and private groups have provided about P11.246 million worth of assistance. The DSWD still has P1.3 billion worth of cash and stocks composed of family food packs and non-food relief items, on standby.
DAMAGE
The NDRRMC said the cost of damage to infrastructure rose in five regions — CAR, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and Metro Manila — is now at P414.22 million. The figure is still expected to rise as damage assessment is continuing.
Damage to agriculture in CAR alone was placed at P13.9 million, the NDRRMC also said.
This is on top of 21,890 houses which were damaged, including 17,434 in CAR. The NDRRMC has yet to provided an estimate as to cost of damage on the houses.
It said three roads — one each in CAR, Ilocos, and Cagayan — remained not passable to vehicles. Officials earlier said 149 roads and 11 bridges were not passable to vehicles or partially open.
Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan said as of July 30, partial cost of damage to roads, bridges, and flood-control structures have reached P596.7 million — P474.1 million in CAR, P119.5 million in the Ilocos Region, P3.1 million in Cagayan Valley.
The Department of Agriculture said damage to the agriculture sector in CAR was placed at P44.2 million as of Saturday.
Affected by the earthquake were irrigation systems, farm-to-market roads and other farm structures in Ilocos Sur, Abra and Kalinga.
The Department of Energy said that the only remaining issue in the sector that was caused by the earthquake is the non-operation of two fuel retail outlets located each in Abra and Benguet.
SCHOOLS
The Department of Education said it would need about P1.4 billion for the rehabilitation of quake-hit schools.
It said 263 of the 9,903 schools affected by the earthquake sustained damage that needed rehabilitation.
Of the 263 schools, the DepEd’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service said 152 are located in CAR, 59 in the Ilocos, 29 in Cagayan Valley, 21 in Central Luzon, and one each in Calabarzon and the National Capital Region.
Of the said schools, 451 classrooms sustained major damage while 706 registered minor damage, it said.
The DepEd also said 4,460 schools have suspended work due to the effects of the earthquake.
It said the governments of Abra, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Vigan City, Candon City and Urdaneta City have yet to announce when work will resume in their areas.
DepEd also said 25 schools in Region 1 and CAR are being used as evacuation centers for 583 families.
RESTORATION
Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, principal author of RA 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act, said there is an endowment fund that can be tapped for the restoration efforts.
Angara said the fund that is being administered by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts is held in a special account in the Bureau of Treasury and can be used exclusively for the implementation of culture and arts programs and projects.
He said RA 10066 states that “all cultural properties declared as important cultural property may also receive government funding for its protection, conservation and restoration.”
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) has committed to rehabilitate the damaged historic sites and structures with the help of the local government units concerned and the cultural property owners.
Senators Robin Padilla and Christopher Go yesterday visited parts of Abra and Ilocos Sur and distributed relief items to affected families.
Padilla pushed anew for the need to shift to a federal form of government to empower local government units to better respond to calamities.
He said much of the aid to affected areas comes from the national government whose head offices are based in Metro Manila. Because of this, he said, “ang laki ng delay (there is a delay in help).”
Padilla has filed Senate Resolution 6 calling for a review of provisions in the 1987 Constitution, including considering a shift to federalism and a parliamentary government.
He said federalism will allow local governments to better address the needs of their constituents, instead of the current setup with centralized powers. — With Jocelyn Montemayor, Ashzel Hachero, Jed Macapagal and Raymond Africa
