VARIOUS government agencies are stepping up efforts to provide food, shelter, and other relief to the victims of the successive earthquakes that struck Cebu and parts of Mindanao amid threats of more earthquakes and aftershocks.
Still reeling from the devastating earthquake last September 30, a series of earthquakes struck Bogo City, Cebu, anew at dawn on Monday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.
The strongest of the latest wave of earthquakes that hit this coastal city in Cebu struck at exactly 1:06 a.m. Phivolcs said the 5.8 magnitude earthquake generated Intensity V tremors in Bogo, Daanbantayan, Madellin, San Remigio, Tabogon, and Tabuelan, all in Cebu. The same intensity was recorded in Villaba, Leyte, and Escalanta City in Negros Occidental.
It also shook the cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Danao, Talisay, Toledo, and the towns of Asurias, Balamban, Bantayan, Carmen, Catmon, Compostela, Consolacion, Liloan, Pinamugalajan, Sogod, and Tuburan in Cebu; Iloilo City, Roxas, and Pontovedra in Capiz; Ormoc City, Albuera, Capoocan, Calubian, Isabela, Kananga, Lete, Merida, Palompon, and San Isidro in Leyte Province.
Damage, aftershocks expected
A SECOND earthquake with a magnitude of 3.4 was recorded at 1:24 a.m., followed by a 3.9 magnitude earthquake at 1:31 a.m. A fourth earthquake was recorded at 2:24 a.m. with a magnitude of 3.4.
As of 11 a.m., Phivolcs said the Magnitude 6.9 Northern Cebu Earthquake recorded 11,835 aftershocks, of which 2,068 were plotted and 46 felt in the immediate vicinity of Bogo City.
The 6.9 Northern Cebu Earthquake has resulted in the death of 74 people and the injury to 559 others. It also affected 201,245 families or 722,919 persons.
The NDRRMC said that a total of 774 public and private infrastructure were damaged, while a total of 79,959 houses were damaged as a result of the earthquake and successive aftershocks that continue to grip Cebu.
Modular shelters
THE Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) said it has sent modular shelter units (MSUs) for the quake victims in the three hardest-hit areas in Cebu.
Housing Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling said that the MSUs will serve as temporary shelters for families who were displaced by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit Cebu last September 30, or ‘those who are still frightened to return to their homes due to aftershocks.’
According to DHSUD, the MSUs were allocated for the towns of Daanbantayan, San Remigio, and Medellin, which are among the areas hardest hit by the powerful quake.
The MSUs will be set up at the ‘Bayanihan Villages’ that were ordered to be established by President Marcos to provide shelter for the earthquake victims.
As of Sunday, several MSUs have been installed in the locl government-identified area for the Bayanihan Village in San Remigio town, DHSUD noted.
The delivery of the MSUs was made after the DHSUD conducted a ground assessment, in close coordination with other government agencies and LGUs.
‘Alinsunod po sa direktiba ni Pangulong Marcos ay agarang nagpadala ang DHSUD ng mga MSUs para sa mga biktima ng lindol na nawalan ng tahanan o kaya naman ay patuloy na nangangambang bumalik sa kani-kanilang tirahan,’ said Aliling.
‘We hope that these MSUs will somehow ease the burden of the quake victims. Kahit papaano ay komportable at ligtas sila dito,’ he added.
Days after the earthquake, Aliling sent Housing Undersecretaries Ed Robles and Ramon Quintin Allado and Assistant Secretary Hernando Caraig Jr. to Cebu to inspect the ground situation to determine what immediate response is needed from DHSUD.
‘Based on their assessment, ang agarang tulong na kailangan ng ating mga kababayan ay ligtas at maayos na masisilungan. Kaya mabilis natin dineploy ang mga MSUs,’ Aliling said.
‘Asahan po ninyo na patuloy na ang DHSUD ay aktibong lalahok sa whole-of-nation response na iniutos ni Pangulong Marcos upang mabilis na makabangon ang ating mga kababayan mula sa epekto ng lindol,’ he added.
Housing loan amortization
APART from sending MSUs, the DHSUD chief ordered the Pag-IBIG Fund, the Social Housing Finance Corporation, the National Housing Authority, and the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation to suspend housing amortization in Cebu and in the Bicol Region that was battered by typhoons Nando and Opong.
The National Housing Authority (NHA) distributed P12.37 million worth of cash aid to 1,085 families in San Remigio, Cebu, who were affected by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit the province recently.
Of the total number of beneficiaries, 76 families whose houses were totally damaged received P30,000 each, which amounted to P2.28 million; while 1,009 families whose houses were partially damaged received P10,000, which amounted to P10.09 million, respectively.
In a statement issued over the weekend, NHA said the cash aid was distributed under NHA’s Emergency Housing Assistance Program (Ehap), which provides financial assistance to families affected by disasters such as typhoons, fires, earthquakes, and floods, intending to help beneficiaries start anew.
Another set of Ehap distribution will be conducted in the following weeks for other victims of recent earthquakes and typhoons, NHA also noted.
In addition to the Ehap distribution, the NHA said it is also currently implementing a one-month moratorium on the amortization of housing loans and lease payments this October for the provinces of Cebu and Masbate, to alleviate the financial burden caused by recent calamities.
Under the guidance of NHA General Manager Joeben A. Tai, NHA Assistant General Manager Alvin S. Feliciano led the distribution ceremony, accompanied by Region 7 Regional Manager Hermes Jude D. Juntilo.
Speaking on behalf of GM Tai, Feliciano expressed hope that the financial assistance would help improve the living conditions of the beneficiaries.
Quick assessment
IN response to the 7.4 and 6.8 magnitude doublet earthquakes near Manay, Davao Oriental, concerned government agencies are moving to conduct a quick assessment of all government infrastructures, school buildings, and medical facilities.
The assessment aims to ensure the integrity of the infrastructure facilities in preparation for the smooth return to normal operation.
Public Works Secretary Vivencio Dizon said the initial assessment of bridges found minor issues and were cleared for use.
The main roads have been cleared in Davao Oriental, Davao de Oro, and Davao del Norte while clearing was going on in provincial, town, and barangay roads.
The Manay District Hospital, though, has been declared condemned, as Dizon said the assessment found that ‘none of the seven buildings were cleared for use.’
‘In all likelihood, the hospital needs complete reconstruction.’
Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara said funds would be allocated for the repair of minor damages to the regional offices and heads of school divisions. This would be taken from the quick response fund of the department.
‘For the major repairs, we will coordinate it with Secretary Vince Dizon and ensure a faster coordination process so the works will be done immediately,’ he said.
Social Welfare Sec. Rexor Gatchalian assured that food packs have already been prepositioned nationwide ‘even before this earthquake happened’. The regional DSWD here said 103,614 food packs and non-food items were already prepositioned, and by Friday morning, some 1,050 food packs were already distributed to the earliest local governments that communicated their exact number of families who needed assistance.
The regional office also said more food assistance was being sent to the other areas for the rest of the day.
Eight people were confirmed dead, including the person with a medical condition at the district hospital in Montevista, who succumbed to a likely cardiac arrest in reaction to the earthquake.
Brig. Gen. Joseph Arguelles, the chief of the Davao Regional Police Command, said police have secured the evacuation camps across the three provinces, including those in the coastal village of the town of Taragona, the next town south of Manay. Taragona coastal residents quickly rushed out of their homes on Thursday night, immediately after a tsunami alert was raised when the second magnitude 6.8 quake occurred at 7:12 pm. The first quake occurred at 9:45 am.
Regular earthquake drills
THE Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) has urged all workplaces nationwide to conduct regular earthquake drills, stressing that preparedness must become a permanent part of the country’s work culture.
In a statement, Party-list Rep. Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza of TUCP said companies should hold drills at least twice a month to ensure workers instinctively know what to do when disaster strikes.
He warned that treating drills as mere compliance puts lives at risk, especially in a country constantly threatened by earthquakes.
‘Beyond seemingly token and ceremonial compliance, we should make preparedness a habit and earthquake readiness a work culture.More and more practice saves lives so that readiness will rightfully be second nature in a country that sits on the Ring of Fire,’ Mendoza said.
The labor group said regular drills would also serve as a venue to revisit emergency response plans and remind workers of their right to refuse unsafe work.
TUCP urged employers to include safety discussions in labor-management meetings to strengthen workplace readiness.
Mendoza added that no employee should be forced to continue working when conditions pose an immediate threat to life or safety.
Meanwhile, Labor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma welcomed the labor group’s appeal, saying it complements the government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen occupational safety and health (OSH) compliance in all establishments.
‘The concern and advocacy for [OSH] is a shared responsibility among the tripartite partners: workers, employers and government. Thus, DOLE welcomes the TUCP call for more drills to make the workers and employers aware of the safety protocols during earthquake and other calamities,’ Laguesma said.
The TUCP’s call follows recent incidents in Cebu’s business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, where workers complained of alleged OSH violations in Cebu during a magnitude 6.9 earthquake last September 30.
According to BPO Industry Employees Network-Cebu, emergency exits of some firms were purposely blocked, preventing workers from leaving the building.