The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) urged local government units (LGUs) to activate their emergency response teams after the magnitude 7.6 earthquake that struck off the coast of Davao Oriental on Friday morning.
‘All concerned local chief executives are enjoined to prepare for this threat. Activate your respective emergency operations centers and incident management teams,’ DILG said in a statement.
Further, the DILG advised the local officials in the following provinces to evacuate residents who are in the coastal areas:
Eastern Samar
Southern Leyte
Leyte
Dinagat Islands
Surigao del Norte
Surigao del Sur
Davao Oriental
‘Immediately establish evacuation routes, directional signs and safe zones for at-risk communities,’ the DILG said.
For its part, in a statement also on Friday, the Philippine National Police said it had already deployed its forces in the region to assist in the response efforts.
‘PNP units in Davao Oriental and nearby provinces were quickly mobilized to assist affected communities, maintain public safety, and coordinate with local authorities,’ the law enforcement agency said.
‘Police personnel are currently inspecting buildings, roads and other infrastructures for damage and identifying areas that need urgent attention,’ it added.
The tremor occurred 62 kilometers southeast of Manay town, Davao Oriental at around 9:43 a.m. on Friday, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).