At least seven people were reported dead following the magnitude 7.4 and 6.8 earthquakes that struck Davao and nearby areas on Friday, authorities said.
As of yesterday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported 11 people injured and no missing persons.
Details on the fatalities and injuries have yet to be released, except that they are from the Davao and Caraga regions.
The NDRRMC said a total of 3,519 families, or 8,436 people, were affected by the twin quakes. Of these, 2,468 families or 7,915 individuals are currently staying in 29 evacuation centers in quake-hit areas.
Disaster response teams continue to assess the extent of damage.
So far, a total of 441 houses were damaged across 58 barangays in Davao Oriental, 15 in Davao del Norte, 14 in Davao de Oro and three in Dinagat Islands.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has distributed 1,552 family food packs, 606 ready-to-eat meals and 969 non-food items worth P3.75 million to affected communities.
Two mobile kitchens and communication hubs were also deployed to restore connectivity and provide hot meals in areas where power was disrupted.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian directed a rights-based and rapid response approach, emphasizing the immediate delivery of food and humanitarian assistance, as well as psychosocial support for children and women in evacuation centers.
The Philippine National Police (PNP), meanwhile, ordered a comprehensive assessment of all police facilities and equipment in Davao Oriental and nearby provinces following the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck off the coast of Manay.
PNP acting chief Lt. Gen. Jose Nartatez Jr. instructed regional directors in affected areas, particularly in the Davao and Caraga police regional offices, to inspect all stations, headquarters and infrastructure for possible structural damage.
Reports from the regional assessments will be consolidated and submitted to the NDRRMC.
Nartatez said all police units in Mindanao remain on full alert and are ready to assist in rescue, relief and security operations.
He likewise reminded police commanders to maintain visibility patrols to deter looting and other crimes in evacuation centers and heavily affected communities.
Cebu quake
Meanwhile, the death toll from the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that rocked Cebu and nearby provinces on Sept. 30 remains at 74, with 559 others injured.
The NDRRMC said 79,959 houses and 773 infrastructure, including government facilities and schools, were damaged across Central Visayas.
San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora yesterday turned over cash assistance to the province of Cebu and Bogo City to support relief and recovery operations.
Zamora turned over a P1-million check to Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro at the provincial capitol in Cebu City, then traveled to Bogo City, where he handed another P1-million check to Mayor Maria Cielo Martinez. The cash assistance was sourced from the disaster risk reduction fund of San Juan City, as approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
Zamora, who is League of Cities of the Philippines president, also turned over another P1-million check from the LCP to Bogo City.
As part of ongoing humanitarian and disaster relief operations in Northern Cebu, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) transported relief items aboard a C-130 cargo aircraft from Villamor Air Base in Pasay City to Benito Ebuen Air Base in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.
The shipment included water filters, sleeping mats, towels and blankets donated by the Rotary Club of Pasay Southeast, led by its president, Rynah Ventura.
Also onboard were folding beds, boxes of assorted relief goods and sacks of rice from the Office of Civil Defense.
‘These supplies were intended for communities affected by the recent earthquake in Northern Cebu. This sustained effort reinforces the PAF’s steadfast commitment to provide rapid airlift support and ensure the prompt delivery of vital assistance to disaster-affected communities, in close coordination with partner agencies and organizations,’ the PAF said.