Close to 115,000 school children in the Davao Region, mostly in the eastern side, were affected by the October 10 doublet quakes that struck off the Pacific coast of Davao Oriental, with some afflictions needing sustained psychotherapy sessions to treat trauma, the regional Department of Education (DepEd) Region said.
The DepEd XI recorded a total of 918 classrooms that were totally damaged, following the doublet earthquakes that struck the region on October 10.
A big number of them, 41,310 would have to seek available spaces from open spaces to under the shade of trees, as their 918 classrooms were totally damaged when a magnitude 7.4 quake, the strongest in the country in decades, occurred just 48 kilometers northeast of the town of Manay in the morning, and another magnitude 6.8 occurred at 43 southeast of the same town in the evening.
The regional DepEd spokesman, Jenielito Atillo, said Davao Oriental was the hardest hit with 316 classrooms rendered totally damaged. Davao del Sur, which is three provinces further west of epicenter, sustained the next numerous number of damaged classrooms with 186, while the adjacent Davao de Oro reported with 178. Davao Occidental had 25 damaged classrooms.
Among the cities, Davao City had 100, Mati City of Davao Oriental with 76, and Tagum City of Davao del Norte had two.
The DepEd said 114,820 learners in the region were affected in various ways, from damaged classrooms and suspended classes, to panic, injury, and trauma.
The quakes caused minor injuries to 215 learners, almost half of them, or 100, in Davao Oriental. Some 3,653 learning materials, 4,133 chairs, and 1,036 pieces of digital equipment were damaged.
While damaged classrooms were many in Davao Oriental, Davao de Oro accounted for the largest share of affected learners with 45,718 Atillo said this was due to the number of schools and school children population in the province than in Davao Oriental, which posted only 16,177 affected school children.
Tagum City was third with 16,156, Panabo City with 8,518, and Davao City with 8,369.
Davao del Norte recorded 5,028 learners affected, Mati with 4,576, Davao Occidental with 4,355, Davao del Sur with 3,568, Island Garden City of Samal with 1,782, and Digos City with 573.
Atillo said the Davao Region has adapted various approaches, with Davao Oriental and Davao de Oro implementing blended classes, as with the cities of Mati, Panabo, and Davao. Davao del Sur has returned to face-to-face classes while Davao Occidental adapted face-to-face and online classes.
He said, though, that schools will only resume full face-to-face classes after these were cleared of danger by technical experts. Other agencies send health, social aid services.
The regional Department of Health sent mobile water treatment plant, health workforce augmentation, and mental health and psychosocial services to the affected communities in Davao Oriental.
The mobile water treatment facility focused on water, sanitation, and hygiene to prevent the spread of water-borne diseases. The DOH has partnered with the local government unit to optimize the use of this critical asset.
Engr. Mohammad Fahrudin Aliuden, program manager of DOH Davao Environmental and Occupational Health Unit said the machine is equipped with a gasoline-fed generator and can be utilized next to natural water sources like a river to supply potable water.
The Philippine Information Agency report citing DOH sources said machine is equipped with testers to ensure water potability.
Also, a mental health psychosocial support team, led by Dr. Clarence Nuval, the DOH Davao Mental Health Cluster Head, has set up camp in Mati City to deliver psychological first aid and to spot signs of depression, panic, and anxiety attacks.
A 19-member Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team was also deployed by the DOH-Southern Philippines Medical Center (DOH-SPMC) to augment the health workforce in the Davao Oriental Provincial Hospital-Manay. The team was comprised by four medical specialists, eight registered nurses, and support personnel, including a midwife, pharmacist, biomed and physical therapist.
The regional Department of Social Welfare and Development has also established Child Friendly Space facilities in the center of the Tent City in Tarragona, the adjacent southern town next to Manay’.
Protective Services Division Chief Gemma dela Cruz of DSWD XI said the facility accommodated children, especially those who experience trauma due to the disaster.
The DSWD XI said 65,429 families in the province of Davao Oriental were affected by the doublet earthquake. Some 2,528 families in Tarragona were temporarily sheltered in evacuation centers.
Lorela Ramos, policy and plans division officer In charge of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC) told last week’s government briefing that the DSWD already distributed 75,370 family food packs amounting to P44,064,316, and complemented this with 3,679 non-food items valued at over P13,000,000 and ready-to-eat meals worth more than P5,000,000.
Of the total funds deployed, approximately P46 million was allocated to Davao Oriental, where more than 73,000 family food packs were distributed alongside 3,200 non-food items, 3,600 ready-to-eat meals.
Meanwhile, Robert Joseph Montes De Claro, president and chief executive officer of the Social Security System said the agency has offered calamity loans to SSS members in Davao Oriental of as much as P20,000 at a lowered interest rate of seven percent per annum.
Sec. Leo Tereso Magno, chief of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) has expressed gratitude to Education Secretary Sonny Angara, DSWD Sec. Rex Gatchalian and DPWH Sec. Vince Dizon on their joint ocular inspection of the quake affected areas on October 11.
He said funds had been secured to establish an operations center to effectively respond to disasters.