AFTERSHOCKS / LACK OF EQUIPMENT DETERS SEARCH
[PHOTO - Army and police personnel join
civilian volunteers in Solongon, La Libertad in Negros Oriental as they search
for missing persons possibly buried under the dirt following a landslide
triggered by Monday's 6.9-magnitude earthquake. (Photo by
CHERYL BALDICANTOS)
MANILA,
FEBRUARY 9, 2012 (PHILSTAR) The
death toll from the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Negros and Cebu
provinces yesterday has increased to 52, local officials said today.
Mayor Ernesto Reyes of said that the 29 missing people in the quake-triggered
landslide in Barangay Planas in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, are already
presumed dead.
Other local officials said that at least 30 houses were buried by the
landslide in Barangay Planas, which took place after the magnitude 6.9
earthquake struck the several areas in Visayas before noon yesterday.
Reyes said 10 others died due to a landslide that took place along the city's
national road.
Reports coming from other quake-hit areas in Negros Oriental province said
showed that 13 other people were killed during the earthquake. Among these was a
nine-year-old girl, who died after being pinned by a walled that collapsed in
Tayasan, the town nearest to the epicenter of the strong earthquake.
[PHOTO - Residents rush to higher grounds following tsunami rumors due
to a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit Cebu and Negros provinces before noon of
Feb. 6, 2012. The quake killed more than a dozen people and destroyed buildings,
houses and bridges in Negros Oriental. (AP
Photo)]
Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo said the earthquake damaged eight bridges,
three of which were no longer passable.
Degamo said soldiers and police are now conducting rescue and relief
operations. The governor said that all classes and work in government offices
remain suspended.
He added that residents have already been allowed to return to their homes.
However, several residents still refused to leave open areas due to more
aftershocks being recorded by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and
Seismology (Phivolcs) as of this morning.
Phivolcs chief Renato Solidum said that as of noon today, more than 900
aftershocks have been recorded by the agency since the magnitude 6.9 quake took
place yesterday morning.
Solidum said that the aftershocks are all below magnitude 6.5 "and there is
no need to issue any tsunami alert."
The strongest of the aftershocks was measured at magnitude 6.2. It took place
two kilometers away from Tayasan town at 6:10 p.m.
[PHOTO FROM ABS-CBN, REUTERS- Residents walk along a damaged road
caused by an earthquake in Guihulngan, Negros Oriental on Tuesday. Authorities
have raised the death toll to 56 in the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck
between the islands of Negros and Cebu on Monday. Photo by
Erik De Castro, Reuters]
It was felt at Intensity 4 in Sibulan in Negros Occidental and Iloilo City;
Intensity 3 in Dipolog City; Sipalay, Negros Occidental; Guimaras; Tagbilaran
City; Cebu City, Dumarao and Dumanlag towns in Capiz and Oton in Iloilo
province.
The strong aftershock was felt at Intensity 2 in San Jose de Buenavista town
in Antique and Bugo town in Cagayan de Oro City.
The Philippines sits in the Pacific Ring of Fire with frequent earthquakes
and volcanic activities.
The deadliest earthquake that hit the country happened Aug. 16, 1976 when an
ensuing tsunami killed between 5,000 and 8,000 people in the Moro Gulf region in
southern Philippines. with Dennis Carcamo and Xinhua
FROM THE MANILA TIMES
Equipment lack sets back search for quake survivors
Published : Wednesday, February 08, 2012 00:00 Article Views : 794
Written by : Raffy Ayeng, Raadee S. Sausa, William B. Depasupil, Bernice Camille
V. Bauzon
[PHOTO - The distraught parents (left and right) of a 21-year-old
woman, whose body was retrieved from a mountain slope that collapsed during
Monday's 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Negros Oriental province, wail over her
death at Solonggon village in the province's La Libertad town on Tuesday. AFP PHOTO]
DELAY in the arrival of heavy equipment has hampered efforts of rescuers
searching for survivors of Monday's earthquake in the apparently hardest-hit
Dumaguete City, the capital of Negros Oriental province in the Visayas region.
In keeping with the values of servant leadership espoused by his family,
Malacañang said in a statement on Tuesday that President Benigno Aquino 3rd
would spend his birthday today in Dumaguete.
President Aquino, who turns 52, will inspect damaged areas and meet with
residents affected by the calamity as well as with the government workers who
are providing much-needed relief operations on the ground, the statement added.
The apparent setback in the rescue effort forced government personnel and
military troops also on Tuesday to dig through the rubble with their bare hands
and shovels after the powerful quake triggered landslides, collapsed homes and
killed dozens of people.
It also made it impossible for local and national authorities to determine
the death toll from the 6.9-magnitude tremblor that was also felt in the
provinces of Negros Occidental, Cebu and a few others in the Visayas region and
many other provinces in Mindanao and Bicol regions.
"[The] heavy equipment we've requested from the provincial government has not
arrived yet, because the roads and bridges are impassable," said Senior Insp.
Alvin Futalan, police chief of the heavily-damaged city of Guihulngan in Negros
Oriental.
"We are using our hands and shovels to search in the rubble," he told Agence
France-Presse.
[PHOTO FROM TWITTER Grace Nadela - AYALA I.T. PARK IN CEBU AFTER
EARTHQUAKE byL LasagnaSurfer
http://pic.twitter.com/KSdtuizZ]
Local military chiefs said that 43 people were confirmed killed but officials
warned that dozens of others were believed to be injured or missing in
mountainous areas that had been cut off from rescue workers.
Thirty-nine people were reported killed in Guihulngan, a coastal city of
100,000 people located about 90 kilometers from Dumaguete City and flanked by
mountains that was close to the quake's epicenter.
In Manila, the national government's disaster office put the death toll at
15, with 29 missing and 52 injured but acknowledged that it has not been able to
verify reports from local authorities as to the extent of the damage.
With rescuers still to reach remote hinterland communities, Gov. Roel Degamo
of Negros Oriental said that he feared that there could be more unreported
casualties.
"Sadly, we expect the death toll [to] still rise," Degamo added.
He said that the earthquake damaged eight bridges in the province, three of
which were no longer passable.
The governor added that all schools and government offices remained closed.
The quake hit a narrow strait between the heavily populated islands of Negros
and Cebu at about lunchtime of Monday, and a terrifying stream of aftershocks
that authorities said could last for weeks added to the mayhem.
Renato Solidum, the chief of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and
Seismology (Philvolcs), said that as of 12 p.m. of Tuesday, they had recorded
902 aftershocks.
Guihulngan's public market, courthouse and private homes in the area had
collapsed or were damaged, while landslides buried some houses completely,
according to Futalan.
He said that the city's overwhelmed 42-man police rescue squad had been
joined by hundreds of Philippine Army troops and volunteers in clearing debris
as they raced against time to find people still believed missing.
"The Army [troops] had to walk about 50 kilometers [30 miles] from the last
stop reachable by vehicle to reach us," Futalan added.
[PHOTO FROM TWITTER Pic of the exterior wing of SM Cebu. Evacuation
ongoing. #earthquake http://t.co/ifD4CGsJ
johnallanegui]
Their effort and that of local officials were noted by Interior Secretary
Jesse Robredo.
Robredo also on Tuesday described as "satisfactory" the response of the
officials to the disaster but said that they needed to improve the assessment
and handling of landslide-prone areas in their localities.
The President has ordered government agencies to conduct damage assessment
and analysis on areas affected by the quake, Malacañang deputy spokesman Abigail
Valte said also on Tuesday.
She added that Mr. Aquino, who was "deeply concerned" about the people who
were affected by the tremblor, wanted agencies to focus on ensuring that
services resume at the soonest possible time.
The deputy spokesman said that the Social Welfare department had formed
quick-response teams that were awaiting deployment and prepared at least 2,000
family packs ready for distribution.
According to her, the military and the national police have initiated
evacuation efforts and search-and-rescue operations and helped in relief
operations.
The Philippine Coast Guard also on Tuesday said that it had sent two vessels
to Dumaguete City to help in the relief and rehabilitation efforts there.
Valte said that the Public Works department had conducted clearing and
re-routing operations in roads and bridges that had been rendered impassable by
the quake and began rehabilitating damaged infrastructure.
[PHOTO FROM ABS-CBN, REUTERS- Rescuers carry a body retrieved from a
landslide caused by an earthquake in La Libertad, Negros Oriental on Tuesday.
Rescuers searched for 29 residents of a mountainside community feared dead after
a landslide triggered by the 6.9 earthquake on Monday hit the Visayan islands of
Negros and Cebu. Photo by Erik De Castro,
Reuters]
The department said that damage to roads and bridges had reached P265.75
million.
The Energy department, Valte said, has started restoring power back to the
affected areas.
The Health department also on Tuesday said that it had sent a medical team to
the affected areas, particularly Guihulngan.
Chairman Francis Tolentino of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
also on Tuesday said that he was sending a highly-trained 15-man rescue team to
Dumaguete City.
The Science and Technology department said that it had deployed a
quick-response team to Negros Oriental, particularly Dumaguete City, to assess
the damage in the affected areas.
In neighboring Negros Occidental province that was also hit hard by the
quake, Gov. Alfredo Marañon also on Tuesday appealed to Philvolcs to keep a
tight watch on Mount Kanlaon for possible seismic activity.
A journalist traveling to Guihulngan from Dumaguete City witnessed families
in makeshift tents standing in shock outside their homes and refusing to go back
inside in fear of aftershocks.
State seismologists said that more than 700 aftershocks battered Negros
island during the 20 hours that followed the initial quake, first measured by
the US Geological Survey at 6.8.
[PHOTO - Residents carrying their belongings cry as they ask for help
after they evacuated their homes located on a mountain slope where large cracks
were seen in Libertad town, Negros Oriental on Tuesday. The magnitude 6.9 quake
that struck between the islands of Negros and Cebu has so far claimed 56 lives.
Photo by ted Aljibe, AFP]
Col. Francisco Zosimo Patrimonio, the commander of the Army's 302nd Brigade
on Negros island, said that a landslide buried dozens of houses in another town
near Guihulngan.
"Local officials there have a minimal estimate of 40 adults missing, [with
the] number of children missing undetermined," he added.
Telephone communications in some parts of Negros Oriental were also cut off,
leaving information from remote regions unobtainable, according to Degamo.
Cebu, the Philippines' second-biggest city with 2.3 million residents and a
popular tourist destination, was 50 kilometers from the epicenter and shook
violently during the initial tremor but no deaths were reported there.
Residents of the city and those in other cities and provinces shaken by the
earthquake drew concern from the US Embassy in Manila also on Tuesday.
In a statement, it also applauded the dedication and skills of government and
private organizations that are assisting the victims of the disaster.
"The embassy offers its condolences to all those affected by the recent
earthquake near Dumaguete, and the following aftershocks," Charge d'Affaires
Leslie Bassett said.
"Local and national authorities, working with civic organizations, are making
significant efforts to assist victims of this tragic natural disaster. We
applaud their dedication and expertise," she added.
The Philippines sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", a belt around the Pacific
Ocean where friction between shifting tectonic plates causes frequent
earthquakes and volcanic activity.
Raffy Ayeng, Raadee S. Sausa, William B. Depasupil, Bernice Camille V.
Bauzon, Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz, Ma. Ester L. Espina, Sammy Martin, Jing
Villamente and AFP
Only Albay is ready for big quakes – Philvolcs
Published : Wednesday, February 08, 2012 00:00 Article Views : 951
Written by : Rhaydz B. Barcia, Correspondent
[PHOTO - Residents carry their belongings as they cross a portion of
an earthquake-damaged highway in Tuway village in Negros Oriental province's La
Libertad town on Tuesday. AFP PHOTO]
LEGAZPI CITY: Only the province of Albay is prepared for earthquakes,
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Director Renato
Solidum said on Tuesday, a day after a 6.8-magnitude tremor struck the island of
Negros in the Visayas region.
During the Mayon Volcano Summit held at Venezia Hotel, Solidum—the main
speaker of the event—revealed that other provinces had a poor level of
preparedness for and awareness of calamities.
"Many provinces in the country are not earthquake-ready except Albay
province, and one pressing concern that should be assessed is the people's level
of preparedness [and] awareness. The Philippines is an earthquake-prone country
and we have to be prepared" for it, he said.
What is also alarming is that most houses in the provinces are not safe,
since these were haphazardly built, the Phivolcs chief added.
While the country has a good building code, Solidum said that it was not
being followed, especially in the construction of houses and residential units.
"Many residential areas in the Philippines are unsafe, compared to high-rise
buildings. Before putting up a structure, we should first consider the design,
durability of construction materials and land classification if it is safe," he
added.
For his part, Gov. Joey Salceda of Albay, who led provincial officials, media
practitioners and disaster responders in participating in the summit, said that
the country's development should be measured alongside safety protocols.
"To lessen the impact of disasters, we should be aware of the safety
protocols of the people and of the structures we're [building]. Albay, which
pioneered hazard training and simultaneously conducted earthquake drills to
strengthen the level of preparedness and awareness of the people, is more than
50-percent ready should strong a earthquake occur," he added.
Solidum asked the governor to integrate disaster risk reduction and climate
change responsiveness in the disaster-mitigating measures of all regions to
minimize the adverse impact of calamities.
Sen. Francis Escudero, meanwhile, urged all stakeholders and authorities to
strictly follow the structural protocols and sought a comprehensive review of
the National Building Code through Senate Bill No. (SBN) 2843 to strengthen the
state's existing structural policy.
This measure directs the Departments of Interior and Local Government and
Public Works and Highways, and the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management
Council to work with all local government units to initiate and conduct a
comprehensive inspection of all buildings nationwide.
"There is no more escaping the reality of climate change, earthquakes,
flashfloods [and] landslides.
Recent tragedies have shown that existing buildings where people thought they
could seek refuge did not stand a chance against nature's wrath; it even claimed
lives," Escudero said in a statement sent to The Manila Times.
His colleague, Sen. Loren Legarda, said that sound engineering practices and
community preparedness were needed to ensure minimal damages due to earthquakes.
"Evaluation and retrofitting of public and private infrastructure are crucial
in ensuring that buildings, bridges and other similar structures can withstand
strong quakes; while the conduct of earthquake drills will enable our citizens
to respond quickly and this will equip our people with knowledge of what to do
before, during, and after such disasters," Legarda told The Manila Times.
The former broadcaster-turned-legislator, who heads the Senate committee on
climate change, is organizing regional workshops, set to start on February 24,
on effective disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation (CCA) for
local government units, national government agencies, non-government
organizations, academe, youth, and media.
Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE
NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS
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