The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Monday said that the agency is in talks for the relocation of victims displaced by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Cebu.
This was what OCD Administrator Harold Cabreros answered when asked if there are relocation plans for residents affected by the earthquake.
‘Yun ang isa sa pinaplano natin ngayon. Mayroon kasing mga bahay na andun mismo sa fault lines,’ Cabreros told reporters speaking in Filipino during an interview in the send-off ceremony of the donations of the Bureau of Customs for the earthquake victims.
‘We are planning. In the meantime, we are building temporary shelters. Permanent relocation may take a long time since it will need funds,’ Cabreros added.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has found the fault that caused the earthquake, with its quick response team locating the inland extension of the newly named Bogo Bay Fault in Sitio Looc, Brgy. Nailon, Bogo City.
Bogo City was the epicenter of the earthquake that occurred last September 30.
According to the latest data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the earthquake affected a total of 155,094 families or 547,394 individuals. It added that 35,925 houses were reportedly damaged in Central Visayas.
Cabreros also advised residents living near the fault line to evacuate as there might be looming aftershocks or another earthquake.
‘That’s what we are telling our fellow citizens to stay away from the fault lines. We don’t know what will happen. We can’t predict earthquakes so we are advising them to stay safe,’ he said in Filipino.
Meanwhile, he said that tents are among the primary necessities of the affected residents so they can seek temporary shelter. He noted that while many residents’ houses were not damaged, they are still reeling from the trauma of sleeping inside their houses.
He emphasized that donations from the private sector may be brought to the provincial government of Cebu. Meanwhile, he said that international organizations who want to extend their help may coordinate with the agency so it can facilitate the turnover of relief efforts to the provincial government.