By Ferdinand Patinio/Philippine News Agency
MANILA — Four road sections in Eastern Samar and Pampanga have been closed to all types of vehicles due to damages caused by separate earthquakes that rocked the country early this week, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) reported on Wednesday.
In an advisory, the DPWH said that as of 2 p.m. Wednesday, the Navarro Street, Jasmines Bridge in Samar was closed for inspection and assessment.
It added that six roads and bridges along Wright-Taft-Borongan Road in Eastern Samar have damaged bridge approaches but remain open to motorists, Pagbabangan Bridge (one lane passable); Layog Bridge (one lane passable); Sulat Bridge (passable).
Also, the right lane in Barangay Maglipay (one lane passable); left lane in Barangay Casoroy, San Julian (one lane passable) and right lane in Barangay Maglipay Sulat (one lane passable) have damaged pavements.
In the National Capital Region (NCR), the United Nations Avenue in front of Emilio Aguinaldo College, Manila has only one lane passable to all types of vehicles.
On the other hand, the following structures in Pampanga are not passable: East Lateral Megadike, Maiwalo/Dolores, Bacolor (lateral and vertical movement of dike causing cracks and opening of concrete slope protection); Floridablanca Consuelo Bridge (slab deck cracks and depression approach) and Sasmuan-Lubao Road, San Nicolas 1st Lubao (collapsed slope protection and half of the carriageway and embankment was scoured).
The DPWH noted that Post Disaster Assessment Teams have been deployed and warning signs were installed in the said areas.
On the other hand, it added that all national roads in NCR, Ilocos Region (Region 1), Central Visayas (Region 7), Calabarzon (Region 4-A) and Mimaropa (Region 4-B) are passable.
At least 16 people were killed in a magnitude 6.1 earthquake that jolted Luzon, including Metro Manila.
On Tuesday, another quake with a magnitude of 6.5 rocked several places in Eastern Samar causing damages to churches, bridges and roads.
Meanwhile, the Archdiocese of Caceres on Wednesday asked church authorities to initiate periodic inspection of the structural integrity of our churches, seminaries and ‘conventos’, especially old historical churches, convents, and buildings.
“We must always ensure the safety of our churchgoers, and be pro-active in safeguarding our churches and the faithful against human violence and natural calamities,” Archbishop Rolando Tirona said in a pastoral letter addressed to parish priests, heads of Institutions and the clergy of the archdiocese.
“The archdiocese will partner with professional groups and structural engineers, and security experts to help us safeguard our parishioners, and preserve our cultural heritage, like our historical edifices and churches,” he added.
On Tuesday, the Archdiocesan Commission on Church Heritage (ACCH) Secretariat of the Archdiocese of San Fernando, Pampanga has recommended the closure of 24 heritage churches under the Archdiocese until the structures have been found safe.
They are coordinating with experts and national agencies to assure that the structures are deemed safe.
It was reported that two churches in Eastern Samar, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows and Saint Ignatius of Loyola, have sustained minor damages caused by the tremor.
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