Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles on Saturday said President Duterte has mobilized all government agencies to respond and provide assistance to the victims of the powerful earthquake that jolted Batanes province Saturday morning.
Nograles said that the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has been tasked to be on top of the coordination efforts to ensure that all the necessary emergency assistance would reach Batanes province immediately.
He noted that food packs that are prepositioned in the capital town of Basco are now enroute to Itbayat town which was hardest hit by the 5.9 magnitude quake that shook the tiny island province.
“There are some concerns about weather conditions, which is why everyone is working double time to make sure that we can immediately provide help to those who are affected by the quake. Time is of the essence here because of inclement weather,” said Nograles.
Nograles said Batanes’s rocky coastal waters are notorious because of high and dangerous waves, making it very difficult to provide relief through seagoing vessels.
Secretary Nograles said that based on the latest situation reports that reached his office, at least eight people are confirmed dead while 60 others have been reported injured. No major structural damage has been reported so far, except for the Nuestra Señora Del Rosario Church bell tower.
Nograles said that except for the total power shutdown, Itbayat remains fairly accessible for relief operations for the 11 evacuation centers that were set up for the residents.
Itbayat is the country’s northernmost municipality, with a total population of less than three thousand.
Nograles said that based on communication with the Batanes provincial government, the immediate needs of the people of Itbayat are as follows: tents for the residents who were evacuated at the town plaza; Biscuits or bread for survival consumption; Portable Generators and potable water.
