Quake swarm prompts evacuation in Sultan Kudarat
KORONADAL CITY—The continuing earthquakes that rattled and triggered preemptive evacuations in the coastal areas of Sultan Kudarat province has affected at least 59,185 people from 13,192 families, latest data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development–Region 12 (DSWD-12) showed.
Dennis Domingo, DSWD-12 information officer, said the affected families came from 31 villages in the towns of Kalamansig, Lebak and Palimbang in Sultan Kudarat.
He said the DSWD-12 also reported quake-affected residents in Datu Blah Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.
As of Jan. 29, a total of 5,429 families or 22,386 people have sought refuge inside 34 evacuation centers in the affected towns, while at least 1,156 families or 3,764 individuals preferred to stay outside the evacuation centers, he added.
Based on DSWD-12 data, at least 11,081 family food packs costing P10,859,380 have been sent for distribution to the families affected by the earthquake swarm.
The agency also extended 1,000 ready-to-eat foods amounting to P968,000.
According to DSWD-12, it distributed family and modular tents, plastic mats, laminated sacks and jerry cans to the affected residents, Domingo said.
Class suspension
The agency has also activated its quick response teams following Wednesday’s magnitude 5.4 quake that hit at 1:05 a.m. and followed by intermittent tremors, prompting the provincial government to suspend classes and work in government offices that day and extend until Thursday.
The neighboring coastal towns of Kalamansig and Lebak also ordered the preemptive evacuations of residents living in shoreline barangays.
Sultan Kudarat Gov. Datu Pax Ali Mangudadatu said the earthquakes continued to be felt in the coastal and other parts of the province, prompting him to extend the class and work suspensions up to Friday or until amended or revoked.
He directed the suspension of classes in all levels across the province and no work for government offices only in Kalamansig, Lebak and Palimbang, except those involved in front-line services such as emergency responders and health workers. —WITH A REPORT FROM EDWIN O. FERNANDEZ
