The number of houses damaged by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu last week climbed to 62,531 yesterday from 39,806 the other day.
As this developed, disaster response teams continued to assess the effects of the temblor on people and communities, to determine the types of assistance needed.
Of the number of damaged houses, up to 4,854 were beyond repair, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
Fourteen municipalities and cities in Cebu including Bogo, the epicenter of the earthquake, are severely affected by the calamity.
The temblor also affected residents and communities in the town of Garcia-Hernandez in Bohol.
Most of the damaged houses are in Bantayan, Borbon, Carmen, Catmon, Daanbantayan, Medellin, San Remigio, Santa Fe, Sogod, Tabogon, Tabuelan and Tuburan as well as in Cebu City.
The NDRRMC said 733 other infrastructure mostly schools and government facilities in Cebu and Bohol sustained damage from the earthquake.
The death toll remained at 72 as of yesterday.
Vietnamese coast guard donates ration
The officers and crewmembers of a Vietnamese Coast Guard (VCG) ship visiting the port of Cebu donated their rations of 32 sacks of rice and 10 boxes of noodles to victims of the earthquake.
Commodore Algier Ricafrente, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) deputy chief for international affairs, said that Maj. Gen. Tran Quang Tuan, commander of VCG Region 2, turned over the donation to officials of Tabogon town.
‘In sympathy to people affected by the earthquake, the VCG set aside 32 sacks of rice and 10 boxes of noodles, leaving behind enough food for their return voyage to Vietnam,’ Ricafrente said in a statement.
The VCG vessel CBS 8002 is in Cebu City for a five-day port visit from Oct. 6 to 10.
The visit is part of the 2nd PCG-VCG Bilateral Meeting that will include joint maritime exercises, courtesy calls, cultural exchanges and sports activities.
Members of the PCG and VCG will also conduct joint exercises focusing on search and rescue, firefighting and oil spill prevention at sea.
Ricafrente said the visit of the CBS 8002 showed a shared commitment to strengthening maritime cooperation as provided under a memorandum of understanding signed in January 2024 between the two coast guards.