By Brian Campued
Immediately after being informed about the magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Manay, Davao Oriental on Friday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. directed concerned government agencies to provide all forms of relief for residents and local government units affected by the earthquake.
In a press conference at Davao International Airport in Davao City on Saturday, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Vince Dizon said the President’s number one order was to “provide the most immediate relief necessary para sa mga kababayan nating tinamaan [ng lindol] lalo na sa Davao Oriental.”
Dizon, along with Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Sec. Rex Gatchalian, Department of Education (DepEd) Sec. Sonny Angara, and Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Leo Tereso Magno, earlier visited the town of Manay to inspect the damages caused by the doublet earthquakes.
The DPWH chief said that, following initial assessment, all national roads in the Davao Region are now passable.
Road clearing operations are also underway on provincial, city, and municipal roads. But there were local roads which sustained damages due to earthquake-induced landslides.
Unfortunately, Dizon said, the Manay District Hospital was not cleared for use as all buildings and structures in the hospital were severely damaged.
“Whether it’s a state of calamity or not, we’re already here. We’re going to give everything that we can provide especially ‘yang immediate relief to the province and the municipalities that were affected. Kasi ‘yun ang number one na priority ng Pangulo natin,” Dizon said during an inspection at Manay District Hospital.
Meanwhile, repairs will begin in schools that suffered minor damages. Angara said DepEd’s quick response funds (QRF) will be utilized to fund both minor and major repairs in coordination with regional and schools division offices and the DPWH.
In the meantime, asynchronous classes will be implemented to ensure the safety of learners, educators, and school staff.
“Ang standing instruction talaga ni Presidente, ‘yung safety is number one,” Angara said.
Gatchalian, for his part, said the DSWD is coordinating with the DPWH and Philippine Red Cross to build temporary shelters for displaced residents.
Giant tents are also deployed in Davao del Norte in response to the request of the local government to temporarily take in patients. An additional two giant tents will be deployed on Sunday with the help of the United Nations World Food Programme.
Family tents were also set up in Tarragona, Davao Oriental, with the help of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and volunteers, to serve as temporary shelters for evacuees while response and recovery efforts continue.
The DSWD Field Office XI has also distributed hygiene kits, water containers, family food packs (FFPs), water filtration units, family kids, and sleeping kits to affected families. Financial assistance was also extended to the family of one of the individuals who died in Mati City.
As of press time, the DSWD has already distributed 1,552 boxes of FFPs, 606 ready-to-eat food (RTEF) boxes, and 969 non-food items (NFIs), amounting to more than P3.74 million in total assistance to Davaoeños affected by doublet earthquake.
Gatchalian assured that despite simultaneous relief operations in typhoon-hit Masbate and earthquake-hit Cebu and Davao, the DSWD is committed to address the food, shelter, and water requirements of those affected.
“Pagdating sa pagkain, alinsunod sa utos ng Pangulo, walang pamilyang apektado ang magugutom,” he said.
As of Saturday noon, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said eight persons reportedly died due to the earthquake—three in Davao Oriental, four in Davao de Oro, and one in Davao City.
These casualties are still under validation, according to OCD Deputy Administrator for Administration Asec. Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV.
-jpv
