Quake leaves main Davao Oriental gov’t hospital unsafe
The magnitude 7.4 earthquake that rocked Davao Oriental on Friday morning has left the provincial health-care system severely strained, with Davao Oriental Provincial Hospital (DOPH) in Manay town, the area nearest the epicenter, sustaining major damage.
Davao Oriental was also rocked on Friday night by a magnitude 6.8 quake following at least 792 aftershocks. This was succeeded by a magnitude 5.8 temblor on Saturday night, while a magnitude 5 quake struck Zambales province.
Overwhelmed
Saturday’s temblors marked the fifth and sixth to hit the country in less than two weeks since the Sept. 30 quake in northern Cebu.
Following the Friday quake at 9:43 a.m. in Davao Oriental, DOPH staff rushed patients out, as some of the hospital’s wall and ceilings began to crack. But no one was reported hurt.
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said on Saturday, after inspecting the hospital, that it was no longer safe for occupancy.
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian had ordered enclosed tents set up outside as admission wards and emergency rooms so DOPH could continue to accommodate more patients.
Marcos’ instructions
As expected, other cases had to be referred to Davao Oriental Provincial Medical Center (DOPMC) in the provincial capital of Mati City.
Personnel of the Office of Civil Defense observed that DOPMC’s capacity was suddenly overwhelmed by the high number of admissions.
On Saturday, the Philippine Red Cross set up a 10-bed medical tent at that hospital’s compound and deployed six volunteers to support its medical staff.
Dizon, Gatchalian, Education Secretary Sonny Angara and Mindanao Development Authority Chair Leo Tereso Magno made the rounds in Davao Oriental on Saturday, upon instructions by President Marcos to fast-track rescue and relief efforts.
“The President’s paramount concern is the safety and well-being of our people in the earthquake-struck areas,” Communications Secretary Dave Gomez said. “On the instructions of the President, all concerned front-line agencies were tasked to work round-the-clock to provide rescue and relief operations.”
As of Saturday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said 1,265 residents were brought out of their homes but 7,915 more had to be evacuated.
Dizon said all national roads have been cleared and authorities are now focusing on making provincial and municipal roads passable.
Gatchalian said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has ensured that enough food and other relief supplies are provided to displaced families. In Tarragona town, the DSWD has set up tents for them in the municipal hall grounds.
Angara said the Department of Education (DepEd) has released P139.4 million for disaster victims in Davao Oriental, Cebu and Masbate, adding that DepEd has conducted an assessment of quake-damaged schools in these provinces.
Doublet quake
The education chief said 575 schools have estimated repair costs so far totaling P2.23 billion. A total of 1,006 schools in the province have been affected by the quake, he said.
According to an initial report by the provincial government of Davao Oriental, some 70,142 families from 10 component towns and one city were affected by the quake. A total of 225 houses were reported destroyed while 471 were damaged.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) classified Friday’s temblors in the province as a doublet quake because the 7:12 p.m. temblor had a magnitude of 6.8. The agency said this exceeded Friday morning’s “magnitude 7.4 quake less one magnitude,” which equals magnitude 6.4.
The 792 aftershocks between the doublet quake affected 41 other areas in Davao Oriental besides Manay.
Friday’s quakes in the province, which were felt throughout Davao region and even as far as the Visayas, affected 8,436 people, or 3,519 families, according to an initial report on Saturday by the NDRRMC.
The death toll was still at seven, the figure reported by authorities on Friday night, while 360 were injured and there were no missing cases yet.
Saturday’s quake had a depth of 10 kilometers and had its epicenter at 62 km southeast of Manay, the same coastal town directly affected by Friday’s quakes.
Acting Philippine National Police chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has instructed police directors in the Davao and Caraga regions to inspect all police facilities for possible structural damage.
“We are also verifying the condition of our communication equipment, vehicles, and other operational assets that may have been impacted by the earthquake,” Nartatez said.
Meanwhile the European Union said it has allotted 750,000 euros (P50.52 million) for victims of the Sept. 30 quake in Cebu.
The funds, released under the administration of the Philippine Red Cross and other humanitarian agencies, will provide emergency relief, such as temporary shelter, water, sanitation, and cash assistance to displaced families, the bloc said in a statement.
Zambales quake
In Zambales, the quake’s epicenter was 19 km east of Cabangan town and had a depth of 100 km, Phivolcs said in its bulletin on Saturday night.
This was followed immediately by another bulletin reporting a magnitude 2.7 aftershock barely an hour later at 6:15 p.m.
The tremor’s epicenter was 25 km east of Botolan town with a depth of 99 km.
Before the aftershock, Phivolcs said Intensity III was felt in Cabangan and the capital town of Iba, while Intensity II was felt in the towns of Botolan, Subic and San Marcelino.
Outside Zambales, Intensity III was felt in San Fernando, La Union; Guimba, Nueva Ecija; Bani and Dagupan City in Pangasinan; Santa Ignacia, Tarlac City and Ramos in Tarlac; and in Calumpit, Bulacan. —WITH REPORTS FROM MARY JOY SALCEDO, DEMPSEY REYES, GABRYELLE DUMALAG AND HAZEL P. VILLA
