Quake-affected people placed at 260,492

The number of families affected by the magnitude 6.6 and 6.5 earthquakes that rattled Tulunan, North Cotabato, on Oct. 29 and 31 has climbed to 53,362 or 260,492 people, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Monday.

READ: 6 killed in 6.6 quake

But the Department of Social Welfare and Development said the victims of the series of earthquakes that hit Tulunan and other parts of Mindanao were continuously getting assistance.

READ: Quakes displace 3.2-million kids—group

“As of 6 p.m. on November 10, the agency has given P38.8 million worth of aid to the 260,492 people affected by the disaster from Regions 11 and 12,” department spokesman Irene Dumlao said.

READ: Quake rehab entails P4 billion—study

“The food packs that we give last for two days, so we give another batch each time depending on the assistance needed by the victims,” Dumlao said.

Meanwhile, the classes at all levels in the public and private schools in Makilala will remain suspended this week, an official said Monday.

READ: Quake forces 1.9-million students to skip classes

Makilala municipal administrator and spokesman Sherry Orbita said Mayor Armando Quibod had ordered the extension of the class suspensions as the town continued to experience aftershocks and many school grounds are still being used as evacuation centers.

The NDRRMC report released by executive director Ricardo Jalad said the families affected by the earthquakes were from 322 villages in Davao and SOCCKSARGEN.

Also, 11,425 families or 54,431 people now being sheltered at 69 evacuation centers, while another 11,042 families equivalent to 56,875 people were being aided outside.

The number of fatalities from the two earthquakes now stands at 24, with 535 others injured and two still missing in Northern Mindanao, Davao, SOCCSKSARGEN and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The infrastructure damaged by the earthquakes totaled 37,519 in Zamboanga, Northern Mindanao, Davao, SOCCSKSARGEN, and BARMM.

The total assistance extended by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health and the Office of Civil Defense to the affected families have reached P61.414 million so far. 

READ: Quake-hit town 6-month waterless