THE National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) yesterday said the death toll from the magnitude 6.8 quake that struck Sarangani town in Davao Occidental last Friday has increased to eight.
The number is one higher compared to the number of fatalities reported by the agency on Saturday.
President Marcos Jr. ordered officials involved in disaster response and relief operations to closely monitor developments in the areas hit by the earthquake.
“Let’s just be vigilant. Let’s keep watching. We must pay attention to aftershocks because sometimes aftershocks leave many casualties,” he said in mixed Filipino and English during a teleconference in Hawaii with Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, Social Welfare Undersecretary Edu Punay, and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno, among others.
The President also cautioned the public on “fake news” about a possible tsunami hitting the affected regions. He said tsunamis are a valid concern after earthquakes happened, but “any movement from the sea, it would have happened already.”
NDRRMC deputy spokesman Mark Timbal said four of the fatalities perished in Sarangani province, three in South Cotabato, and one in Davao Occidental.
Thirteen were injured, 11 higher than the two reported last Saturday. No one remained missing; there were two in the previous day.
The NDRRMC said 180 families or 1,509 individuals have been affected by the quake in the Soccsksargen and Davao regions as of yesterday. Immediate assistance will be extended to the affected population, it said.
The NDRRMC said 12 roads, four bridges, 71 infrastructures, and 54 houses were damaged in the two regions. Three of the damaged roads, all in Soccsksargen, are not yet passable to vehicles, the NDRRMC said.
Twenty-one power interruptions were reported in these areas though electricity was later restored.
The NDRRMC also reported suspension of classes in the Davao region.
Sarangani Gov. Rogelio Pacquiao has suspended face-to-face classes at all levels in the province on Monday and Tuesday, pending structural assessment and inspection of school buildings.
Pacquiao also ordered work-from-home arrangements in government offices on today.
Exempted from the arrangement are personnel involved in peace and order, “critical emergency services,” up to date public information, and disaster risk reduction and management.
The NDRRMC said 82 aftershocks have been reported as of 4 a.m. yesterday from the quake that occurred on Friday afternoon. The quake’s epicenter was some 34 km northwest of Sarangani town.
PNP spokeswoman Col. Jean Fajardo said some police stations were damaged by the quake.
She also said policemen responded to incidents of stampede and traffic congestion.
The NDRRMC, in a statement on Saturday night, said Vice President Sara Duterte presided over a response cluster meeting at the NDRRMC office in Camp Aguinaldo on Saturday morning.
“Vice President Duterte during the meeting reminded all agencies to work closely together, support each other’s response activities, and ensure prompt assistance to the affected areas,” the NDRRMC said.
DAMAGE
The Department of Education (DepEd) said 16 schools were damaged by the earthquake.
Cost of damage to infrastructure was placed at P111 million, in schools in Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, General Santos City, Sarangani and South Cotabato, DepEd said.
DepEd said seven more schools in Davao del Sur and Sarangani sustained “non-infrastructure” damage, like destroyed or damaged computers, furniture and learning resources.
“The estimated cost of non-infrastructure damage stood at P29.40 million,” the DepEd said.
The Department of Agriculture said it is yet to see major damage and losses from the quake.
In a bulletin issued on Saturday, it said landslides in the highways of Glan and Malungon of Sarangani temporarily hampered the mobility of agricultural products to major public markets, but the problem was fixed right away.
The agency added that fish landing sites in Malapatan, Sarangani have been observed with cracked pavements while 54 fishing boats were reportedly damaged in General Santos City and Sarangani province.
The DA added it is still assessing the impact of the quake.
The National Irrigation Administration said its regional managers are conducting an inventory of affected irrigation infrastructures and offices.
AID
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has distributed P5.179 worth of assistance to affected families in the Davao and Soccsksargen regions.
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian yesterday visited Sarangani and General Santos City and led the distribution of 6,500 food packs and cash aid.
Officials from the DSWD regional field office also visited those who were injured and hospitalized due to the quake and handed assistance. In General Santos City, some 360 individuals were admitted to various hospitals in the city.
A P10,000 cash aid was also provided to the families of those who perished. The department reported that three individuals perished from the tremor.
The department also provided food and cash assistance to mall workers who were affected by the earthquake and unable to return to work due to damaged establishments.
Similar aid will be provided to members of the transport sector in the next few days.
Gatchalian also met with General Santos City officials, led by Mayor Lorelie Pacquiao and Rep. Ton Acharon, to ensure that response operations in the national and local level are synchronized and efficient.
DSWD records showed 951 families or 1,229 families in 25 barangays were affected by the earthquake in the Davao Region, and 70 houses were damaged in the provinces of Davao Occidental, Sarangani, and South Cotabato.
DSWD Assistant Secretary and spokesman Romel Lopez said the DSWD has over P2.8 billion worth of cash and stockpile of family food packs and on-food relief items on standby and ready for distribution. — With Ashzel Hachero, Jed Macapagal and Jocelyn Montemayor
