A state of calamity was declared in the province of Abra on Thursday after a magnitude 7 earthquake caused massive damage in northern Luzon the day before.
In a resolution, the provincial board of Abra declared the entire province in a state of calamity. Governor Dominic Valera approved the measure.
In a separate advisory, the disaster management council of Abra said the suspension of government work and classes in the province is extended until today, July 29. “Work and classes will resume on Monday, August 1, 2022,” it said.
An initial report from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) said the damage caused by the earthquake affected 80 percent of the total population, or about 200,000 people, and major infrastructure in the province.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday ordered the relevant national agencies to coordinate with local government units (LGUs) to ensure an immediate emergency response to areas damaged by the earthquake.
Marcos issued the directive at a briefing in Bangued, Abra, near the epicenter of the powerful quake.
The President earlier said there was no need to declare a state of national calamity yet, noting that it could only happen if three regions are heavily affected.
Locals should brace for more aftershocks, which already reached 887 as of Thursday afternoon, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology on Thursday said.
Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum said aftershocks are expected to continue in the next several weeks.
“We expect aftershocks to continue for several weeks but aftershocks would be frequent in the first three days. Hopefully, there would be lesser (in magnitude),” he said.
Once the structures in the quake-stricken areas have been inspected and declared safe, Solidum said residents may return to their homes.
The Abra resolution said the temblor took down power lines, leaving the province without electricity. It also destroyed houses, buildings, and bridges and paralyzed business activity, forcing residents out of their homes without food.
A state of calamity allows local officials to control the prices of basic goods and tap calamity funds. Under this declaration, residents can also apply for interest-free government loans.
Under the law, however, local officials may place their respective areas under a state of calamity, as long as they have the recommendation of the local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
“So, we do what we usually do. Work together with the local government so that we can make sure that no people who need help will be left unattended,” Marcos said.
He said rebuilding efforts must be the government’s top priority for the fast recovery of the quake-stricken areas in Abra province and other parts of Luzon.
Saying LGUs are the ones that have “fundamental responsibility to bring this aid to the people,” Marcos said the national and local governments must “plan everything together.”
The President also ordered the immediate restoration of water, power, and communication lines in quake-hit areas.
He said quake victims who have been rendered homeless must be given the necessary assistance.
Marcos also directed concerned national government agencies, including the Department of National Defense (DND) to help quake-hit areas, especially seven isolated towns in Abra.
“We will arrange to use the DND’s air assets so we can reach the isolated areas,” he said.
Marcos directed the proper coordination with civil engineers for the inspection of government buildings as well as residential properties.
He said hospitals must top the list of facilities that will be inspected.
Marcos also emphasized the need to inspect the houses of quake victims to determine if it is already safe for them to return home.
The number of families affected by Wednesday’s magnitude 7 earthquake that rocked Abra and nearby Northern Luzon provinces has climbed to 4,969 or around 20,000 individuals.
“The report coming in from the affected region, we have a total 4,969 families or 20,000 persons that are affected in 110 barangays in Region 1 (Ilocos) and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR),” said Department of National Defense (DND) officer-in-charge Undersecretary Jose Faustino Jr.
Faustino, who is also the chairman of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), said around 2,312 families in Ilocos Region and CAR are sheltering in the 31 evacuation centers while another 413 in the two regions are sheltering with their families and friends.
In the same briefing, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said in terms of casualties there are five deaths and 131 injured reported.
“In terms of damage to infrastructure, there is damage reported in Ilocos Sur. Also, 61 schools were reported as damaged as well as three bridges.
As of reporting time, the cost of damage to infrastructure is P33.8 million in Ilocos Region alone,” he added.
Alejandro also said concerned agencies and regional offices are still gathering reports on the damage to agriculture and other assets.
Anxious residents slept outside after hundreds of aftershocks rattled the earthquake-hit northern Philippines, locals said Thursday, as President Marcos flew to the region to inspect the damage.
Five people were killed and more than 150 injured when a 7.0-magnitude quake struck the lightly populated province of Abra on Wednesday morning, authorities said.
The powerful quake rippled across the mountainous region, toppling buildings, triggering landslides, and shaking high-rise towers
hundreds of kilometers away in the capital Manila.
“Aftershocks have happened almost every 20 minutes, 15 minutes since yesterday,” said Reggi Tolentino, a restaurant owner in Abra’s provincial capital Bangued.
“Many slept outside last night, almost every family.”
Hundreds of buildings were damaged or destroyed, roads were blocked by landslides, and power was knocked out in affected provinces.
But in Abra, which felt the full force of the quake, overall damage had been “very minimal,” police chief Colonel Maly Cula said.
“We don’t have a lot of people in evacuation sites although many people are staying in the streets because of the aftershocks,” Cula said.
More than 800 aftershocks have been recorded since the quake hit, including 24 that were strong enough to feel, the local seismological agency said.
In Vigan City, a UNESCO World Heritage site and tourist destination in Ilocos Sur province, centuries-old structures built during the Spanish colonial period were damaged.
Gov. Jeremias Singson told Teleradyo that 460 buildings in the province had been affected, including the Bantay Bell Tower, which partially crumbled.
“Our tourism industry and small business owners were really affected,” Singson said.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Thursday reported that the partial cost of damage to national roads by Wednesday’s magnitude 7 earthquake that hit northern Luzon has reached P59.23 million.
In an advisory, DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan said the agency has reopened 13 national road sections in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Ilocos Region that were rendered impassable in the aftermath of the earthquake.
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) ordered all police commanders in Northern Luzon and nearby regions to mobilize all available equipment that can be used in road-clearing operations.
The House of Representatives will support the allocation of funds in the national budget for the rehabilitation and restoration of public infrastructure in provinces affected by the magnitude 7 earthquake in Northern Luzon, Speaker Martin G. Romualdez said Thursday.
Romualdez made the remarks as he joined President Marcos and other top government officials in visiting earthquake victims and communities damaged by the temblor in Abra.
Romualdez said the government and the private sector should join hands in helping the victims and rehabilitating communities that suffered damage.
“The government is here, we are here to help,” he said.
In other developments:
• The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has allocated P50 million to provide emergency employment to workers affected by the magnitude 7 earthquake that hit Northern Luzon on Wednesday morning.
Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said Thursday the initial amount will help finance the hiring of workers in affected regions.
• The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it has ensured the setting up of safe spaces in the evacuation sites for vulnerable individuals affected by the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck northern Luzon Wednesday. “It is included in our (evacuation) camp management to provide safe spaces for pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and children. We have installed personnel to serve as security forces in our campsites to ensure that there will be no harassment or any form of abuse while they are taking temporary shelter,” DSWD Assistant Secretary Romel Lopez said.
• The DSWD said there are over 2,000 family food packs that are ready for distribution while P6 million available funds are ready to be extended to the local government of Abra as financial aid. Another 5,000 family food packs are expected to arrive in the province anytime, it said.
• The National Irrigation Administration reported no major damage to irrigation structures in earthquake-stricken areas except for Region I.
• Senator Loren Legarda cited the need for the country strengthen its preparedness for disasters. “Retrofitting old infrastructure and building right at first sight will help in preventing disaster loss,” she said. With AFP