By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan | Philippine News Agency
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Monday directed local government units (LGUs) to inspect structures in their areas of jurisdiction following the series of earthquakes that jolted the country.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. earlier directed all national agencies to extend assistance to affected areas and fast-track recovery and rehabilitation measures.
In line with this, the DILG reaffirmed its full support to all LGUs in ensuring public safety, structural integrity, and swift recovery in quake-affected communities.
In a news release, the DILG said LGUs, led by building officials, municipal and city engineers, and other technical personnel, must undertake rapid structural assessments, especially of structures in heavily affected barangays and those reported to have visible cracks, partial collapse, or foundation damage.
LGUs were instructed to inspect tilted or displaced buildings and structures affected by ground fissures, sediment venting, and subsidence before allowing reoccupation.
Residential structures must also be properly assessed to determine the extent of damage and ensure the safety of occupants.
The DILG further said LGUs must assess residential structures and relocate affected families to temporary shelters if the structures are declared unsafe.
“LGUs are also reminded to expedite the processing and issuance of permits for repair or reconstruction works necessary to rectify earthquake-related damage, ensuring compliance with national safety and engineering standards,” the DILG said.
No crimes
Meanwhile, acting Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the force’s presence in disaster-hit areas has helped allay public fears and restore order amid the back-to-back tremors in Davao Oriental and Surigao del Sur and the heightened activities of Bulusan and Kanlaon volcanoes.
“The visible presence of our police officers on the ground has been crucial in assuring the public that the government is in full control. The PNP immediately responded to protect lives, maintain peace and order, and support local disaster response operations,” Nartatez said in a statement, also on Monday.
In the Davao Region, the Police Regional Office 11 (PRO-11) was placed on red alert status following the magnitude 7.4 and 6.9 doublet earthquakes that struck Manay, Davao Oriental on Oct. 10.
No crime was reported in the province following the quake, said PNP Community Affairs chief Col. Esmeraldo Osia Jr. at a briefing on Monday, “Maganda ‘yong ating law and order situation doon as reported. Zero tayo doon sa incidents ng criminality.”
However, at least 18 municipal police stations in the province sustained minor damage from the tremor, though all remained operational.
In Caraga Region, the PRO-13 conducted on-site inspections and provided assistance in assessing the damage caused by the 6.0-magnitude earthquake in Cagwait, Surigao del Sur on the evening of Oct. 11.
The Caraga Municipal Police Station was declared not livable by the Police Regional Office Davao’s (PRO 11) engineering unit due to the damage in their office, prompting its personnel to operate out of an extension of their facility and a makeshift command center.
“The overall situation remains manageable. There are minimal damages in PNP infrastructure, no major disruptions of public transportation and no law and order concerns reported,” Osia said.
Elsewhere, police stations in Bicol and Negros have been placed on heightened alert due to the increasing unrest of Bulusan and Kanlaon Volcanoes.
In the same briefing, PNP Spokesperson and Public Information Chief PBrig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño said the rally outside the Forbes Park Village in Makati City on Sunday night was peaceful.
“Wala namang nangyaring untoward incident kagabi. Natapos ito ng 4:20 ng umaga at sila ay nag-disperse,” said Tuaño. (PNA)
