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Post-quake Davao picks up the pieces

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As Mindanao tries to stand up from the rubble of a devastating earthquake on Sunday, authorities say the death toll in Davao del Sur has reached nine, with 111 reported injured and one missing.

READ: Quake toll rises to 7; aftershocks hamper rescue

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council report said Wednesday the casualties were from Region 11 (Davao Region) and 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN),  suggesting the numbers were still to be verified and validated.

At the same time, the Office of Civil Defense in Region 12 is closely monitoring a village in Malungon town, Sarangani province, due to the emergence of ground tension cracks following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake Sunday.

OCD-12 Director Minda Morante said the tension cracks were found in a community in Sitio Malawaan, Barangay Lutay, an upland village around 15 kilometers from the town proper.

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The affected families evacuated from the area on Sunday afternoon due to the occurrence of possible landslides.

“[The] tension cracks [were] visible under 11 houses,” Morante noted in a situation report released at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

The official said they have recommended the assessment of the tension cracks and their possible impact on the community by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau-12.

On Tuesday, the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Region 12 delivered at least 25 tents to the local government in anticipation of possible further evacuations.

The temblor, tectonic in origin, was recorded at 2:11 p.m. on Dec. 15 with its epicenter traced to 9 kilometers west of Matanao town, and with a depth of 3 kilometers.

It damaged 41 public infrastructures, of which 9 were totally damaged while 32 were partially damaged. Also damaged were 128 schools and 19 health facilities, all in Regions 11 and 12.

Meanwhile, retrieval operations at the grocery store in Padada, Davao del Sur that collapsed following the Dec. 15 magnitude 6.9 earthquake has been stopped, according to Darlene Cay’s report on Unang Balita on Wednesday.

Citing engineer Luke Cadoyas, incident commander, the report said the operation was stopped on Tuesday night after it was confirmed that there were no longer bodies at the collapsed building.

Cadoyas said the three-story building, which now awaits demolition, will be cordoned off and guarded by policemen against possible looters.

Retrieval operations had commenced and the top-most layer of the ill-fated shop was broken down by a hydraulic breaker to allow easier access to it.

The temblor was also felt in nearby provinces including Sarangani and Cotabato and in General Santos City and Davao City.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office has said it has provided assistance to 200 persons affected by the earthquake.

PCSO General Manager Royina-Marzan Garma distributed grocery items to the affected families on Monday.

READ: 6.8 quake jolts Davao; kid dies

“We want them to feel that they are not alone, and that PCSO is here to help them,” Garma said in a statement sent to reporters.

Garma, meanwhile, said she was at the Southern Philippines Medical Center when the earthquake occurred.

“Actually, I was in Davao to distribute grocery packs and toys to cancer patients at a hospital there when the earthquake hit,” she noted.

Garma said the agency is committed to providing charity to the Filipinos who need assistance.

In General Santos City, DSWD-12 Director Cezario Joel Espejo said the assessment was ongoing to determine whether it was still safe for residents to stay in the identified landslide-prone areas.

“The assessment will determine if local officials will impose force evacuation for the safety of the people,” he said in a statement.

Malungon is the closest town in Sarangani to the epicenter of the 2:11 p.m. quake last Sunday in Matanao town, Davao del Sur. The temblor was felt at Intensity 6 in the area.

OCD-12 immediately deployed a team to the area on Monday to assess the impact of the quake in coordination with the Malungon Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the Sarangani Provincial DRRMO. 

A separate report released by the Malungon Information Office late Tuesday afternoon said a total of 21 houses, two village gymnasiums, and two churches sustained damages due to the quake.

Jessie dela Cruz, head on Malungon MDRRMO, said they have been closely coordinating with the OCD and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology regarding the series of quakes and aftershocks that affected the area.

Dela Cruz said PHIVOLCS has identified the municipality as among the areas traversed by major fault lines. 

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