All national roads in the Davao Region are passable even after two consecutive major earthquakes struck Davao Oriental on Friday, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
In a statement on Saturday, DPWH said that based on its initial assessment, the public can pass by all national roads in the Davao Region. ‘The damage seen was on local roads caused by several landslides following the earthquake,’ the agency added.
According to DPWH, it will hand over some of its quick response assets to the provincial government to expedite their clearing operations.
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon, along with Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Education Secretary Sonny Angara, and Mindanao Development Authority Chair Leo Magno, went to Davao Oriental to visit residents affected by the earthquakes. ‘We’re going to give everything that we can provide, especially the immediate relief to the province and the municipalities that were affected, because that is the number one priority of our president,’ Dizon said in Filipino.
On Friday, two major quakes struck Manay, Davao Oriental-the first was the magnitude 7.4 at 9:43 a.m. and the second was the magnitude 6.8 tremor at 7:12 p.m.
Seven individuals died, and more than 8,000 others were affected by the earthquakes, according to the initial situational report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council this Saturday. /mr