Mindanao earthquake death toll at 7 - NDRRMC

The death toll from the magnitude 6.8 earthquake that hit Davao Occidental on Friday climbed to seven, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Saturday.

According to a Super Radyo DZBB report, the NDRRMC said three of the fatalities were from General Santos City; two were from Glan and one in Malapatan, Sarangani; and one in Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental.

Among the confirmed fatality was Winifreda Lejano Flores whose lifeless body was found at dawn under the debris inside a salon where she worked as a manicurist.

An elderly man was also killed in the municipality of Jose Abad Santos, according to a separate Super Radyo DZBB report.

In an interview with Super Radyo Davao, Jose Abad Santos Mayor Atty. Jason John Joyce said that rocks fell near the house of the victim that led to his death.

Another elderly man from Sarangani was reportedly injured after hollow blocks from the walls of his house fell on him.

He was immediately rushed to the hospital and is currently in a stable condition.

Quake impact

The Office of the Civil Defense Region 11 confirmed that several houses in the Davao Region are partly damaged.

OCD Region 11 spokesperson Franz Iraq said Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA) is continuously being held in areas affected by the earthquake.

In an earlier Super Radyo dzBB report by John Wilson Dela Cruz, the Office of Civil Defense Region 12 said 17 buildings reported damage from the quake.

Meanwhile, five Region XI schools were damaged in the quake:

• Mangahos PS
• Heracleo Casco Memorial National High School
• Barayong National High School
• Lower Bala National High School
• Liboganon Integrated School

Power outage was also experienced in many parts of Mindanao, particularly in General Santos City and Sultan Kudarat, according to OCD spokesperson Edgar Posadas.

He also reported that the General Santos International Airport sustained minor damage in its facilities.

“All passengers and employees are checked to be safe and accounted for. Wala silang injuries (They sustained no injuries),” Posadas said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

Posadas added that the Department of Social Welfare and Development Region 11 has prepositioned more than P100 million worth of food and non-food items for earthquake victims.

Meanwhile, the Police Regional Office 12 said that some malls also sustained heavy damage.

No aftershocks were felt as of Saturday, but electricity was once again lost early in the morning.

Cleaning operations were held on the highway from Sarangani going to Glan due to a landslide. An alternative route has been constructed for motorists.

'Chaotic'

In another Super Radyo dzBB interview, Dr. Bong Dacera Jr., head of the General Santos City-DRRMO, described the initial impact of the quake as “chaotic.”

“There was a sort of exodus going out of the city. Nagkaroon ng traffic jam lalong lalo na sa highway and major roads,” Dacera said, adding that evacuation was conducted in malls, buildings, and government offices.

(There was heavy traffic on the highway and major roads.)

He added that residents were also worried about a possible tsunami as General Santos City is situated near the sea.

Local authorities provided emergency care for those suffering from hyperventilation. Patients were discharged on Friday night.

“Sa ngayon po ay normal naman na po (the situation has returned to normal),” Dacera said.

Roads in the city are currently passable except for one damaged bridge.

Dacera said the city’s assessment team, City Engineering Office, the CDRMO, Bureau of Fire Protection, and private organizations will be deployed to inspect both private and government offices.

Electricity in some areas of the city was initially lost upon impact but was restored as of 9 p.m. on Friday.

Koronadal City

In a separate Super Radyo DZBB report, Rolly Aquino of the South Cotabato Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) said Intensity VI was felt in Koronadal City while other towns in their province felt Intensity IV and V.

A total of 351 individuals were reportedly injured, who mostly suffered from hyperventilation, hypertension, and panic attacks.

No casualties were reported, Aquino said.

However, there were six damaged houses in the province, and one mall reported minor damage in Koronadal City.

One road was damaged in the municipality of T’Boli due to a landslide.

Aquino said the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office is conducting its assessment of the damaged houses to determine the necessary aid for its residents.

Affected farmers

In a statement, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said he has directed the various agencies of the Department of Agriculture in Mindanao, especially in Sarangani and General Santos City, to quickly assess the damage to farm infrastructure.

“I also gave instructions to assess the needs [of] affected farmers and fishermen. We are ready to extend assistance so that our stakeholders could quickly recover from this disaster,” Laurel said.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development also assured the families who lost their homes or had their houses damaged will receive relief goods and financial assistance.

According to a Super Radyo DZBB report, DSWD Assistant Secretary Rommel Lopez said they have yet to receive the exact number of families affected by the tremor in Regions 10, 11 and 12.

Lopez reported that DSWD field offices experienced communication problems and were unable to collate their information on Friday night.

Cluster meeting

An emergency response cluster meeting led by Vice President Sara Duterte was conducted on Saturday for immediate response to affected areas, according to Bernadette Reyes' report on 24 Oras Weekend.

“Sa mga kalamidad na katulad nito, lumalabas po ang kahalagahan ng ating mga earthquake drills at iba pang pagsasanay para sa kahandaan. Manatili po tayong kalmado, matatag, at magkakaisa,” said Duterte in a Facebook video.

(Calamities like this show the importance of earthquake drills and other preparation measures. Let's all be calm, firm, and remain united.)

NDRRMC Chairman and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, meanwhile, said, “Lahat naman ng ahensiya ay supisyente ang supplies nila at stocks nila upang matugunan ang pangangailangan ng mga LGUs.”

(All agencies have sufficient supplies to respond to the needs of the LGUs.)

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who is still in the U.S. after attending the APEC Summit, earlier said that he is willing to go home if there are measures that only he can execute following the strong earthquake in Mindanao.

“Well, if there’s something that needs to be done that cannot be done by anybody but myself, I will go home,” Marcos said

The President added that  “government agencies do not need directives from me anymore. They know what to do.”

“But as I said, alam na nila ang gagawin eh (they already know what to do). That’s my hope – we tried to organize the government in such a way that these are standard operating procedures already. You don’t have to question what do we do next, nakasulat na lahat ‘yan (all that has been written down),” added Marcos. —Jamil Santos with report from Jiselle Anne Casucian/ VAL, GMA Integrated News