BURIED 71 / VIDEO WORLD NEWS
MANILA, FEBRUARY 11, 2012 (ABSCBN) Relief assistance is pouring in
for residents of isolated towns in Negros Oriental, which were affected by
Monday's magnitude 6.9 earthquake.
Trucks of food, water, and medicines from Dumaguete City were sent to La
Libertad and Guihulngan, two Negros Oriental towns which were badly-hit by the
quake.
However, the relief operation is being hampered due to collapsed bridges and
damaged roads.
"As you can see, we cannot really cross. We are bringing relief goods for
Dumaguete City. We want to hit up to Guihulngan but it seems we cannot pass
because of the destroyed bridges," said Dumaguete Mayor Manuel Sagabarria.
[PHOTO - Rescuers and residents take a break in their search and rescue
efforts following a landslide that was triggered by Monday's magnitude- 6.9
earthquake at Guihulngan township, Negros Oriental province in central
Philippines, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012. (AP / Choy
Gallarde)]
In Poblacion, the military gets water from a river and distills it to
distribute to residents who have to line up for hours.
"Naghintay kami na mabigyan kami at makainom kami ng tubig," said one of the
residents Mylene Maribao.
ABS-CBN's Sagip Kapamilya also visited far-flung Barangay Maragondong and
gave food to residents who lost their homes.
Landslide victims
Meanwhile, the search in Barangay Solunggun, La Libertad where around 40
people are believed to be buried continued on Thursday.
[PHOTO - Residents stay in open areas with few belongings following a
magnitude 6.9 earthquake which hit Sibulan, Negros Oriental province and other
central Philippine provinces Monday, Feb. 6, 2012. (AP /
Judy Flores)]
Authorities reduced the number of personnel after ordering a shift from
rescue to retrieval operations.
Rescuers, however, said it's unlikely they will still find survivors, four
days after landslide.
But Julius Bolu, who is looking for his 7-year-old child, said the rescuers'
efforts are not enough.
"Dagdagan pa dapat nila, 'yung heavy equipment pwede naman nila idaan sa
tubig at gamitin ang Navy," said Bolu.
Since Monday, only one body has been recovered and rains continue to hamper
operations. -- Reports from Jeff Canoy, ABS-CBN News;
ANC
The Associated Press (CTV NEWS
CanADA)
Hopes fade for dozens buried in Philippines quake
Wednesday Feb. 8, 2012 6:21 AM ET
[PHOTO - Philippine rescue officials say they are losing hope of
finding anyone alive among 71 people still buried in landslides set off by a
powerful earthquake. So far, 26 bodies have been recovered and
]identified.]
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine officials conceded Wednesday that there was
little hope of finding any survivors among 71 people still buried in landslides
set off by a powerful earthquake, as jittery residents stayed away from their
homes amid a flurry of aftershocks.
Soldiers, rescue volunteers and villagers using picks and shovels have not
found anyone alive under concrete rubble and tons of rocks and mountain soil
since the magnitude-6.9 quake struck two townships in central Negros Oriental
province on Monday. So far, 26 bodies have been recovered and identified.
"I am still hoping against hope, but the chances (of recovering survivors)
are very slim. If you see the landslide, it's huge and there is no chance of
them surviving," said Benito Ramos, head of the Office of Civil Defence.
Ramos accompanied President Benigno Aquino III on a visit to the disaster
area, during which Aquino ordered the immediate construction of detour roads to
revive commerce and speed up the delivery of relief supplies.
Aquino criticized the shoddy road construction, while Ramos said bridges that
were damaged were not built to sustain such a strong quake.
Eleven bridges reportedly were damaged in Negros Oriental, three of them
beyond repair.
Philippine seismologists said they were previously unaware of the undersea
fault line that caused the temblor, which sent rocks, trees and other debris
crashing down mountainsides in the two worst-hit towns of Guihulngan and nearby
La Libertad.
Bottles of potable water, which has been in short supply, began to arrive,
while a ship brought water purifiers.
Ramos said many jittery villagers refused to return to their houses, fearing
more damage from numerous aftershocks and opting instead to sleep in vacant
fields and parks.
"We could see how severe nature's wrath was," Aquino said. "The aftershocks
are enlarging the cracks of the roads."
With more bodies expected to be recovered, Guihulngan Mayor Ernesto Reyes
said his town of 100,000 people might run out of coffins. At least 23 people
were still missing there.
The Philippines is in the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where earthquakes and
volcanic activity are common. The damage and casualties are compounded by poor
construction in violation of building codes in the impoverished nation. A
magnitude-7.7 quake killed nearly 2,000 people in northern Luzon in 1990.
FROM CEBU DAILY NEWS
Three victims shipped to Cebu for treatment
2/9/2012
THREE critically injured persons from the quake-struck town of
Guihulngan, Negros Oriental, were delivered to the Vicente Sotto Memorial
Medical Center (VSMMC) via airlift from Dumaguete City Hospital yesterday. Capt.
Ares Makailing of the Philippine Air Force said they arrived at their
headquarters at 10:15 a.m. and transported the patients by ambulance to the
VSMMC's trauma center at 11 a.m.
Hospital information officer Nonoy Mongaya identified the patients are
33-year-old Felia Acabal and 7-year-old Nicalona Mejares. A firewall collapsed
on Mejares during a landslide.
Both sustained injuries on their left legs while an elderly patient who has
yet to be identified incurred spinal injuries.
Mongaya said other hospitals in Negros Oriental cannot accommodate more
patients.
He said a 4-year-old girl who suffered facial injury and needs a CT scan will
also be transported to Cebu today.
Lt. Col. Christopher Tampus, Central Command spokesman, said they already
sent troops to Negros Oriental to assist in the rescue operations.
He said the death toll stands at 26 dead and 71 missing.
The epicenter of the 6.9 earthquake that hit the Visayas area last Monday
morning was recorded in Tayasan in Negros Oriental, which is two towns away from
Guihulngan.
Cebuanos who took part in the rescue and relief missions in Negros Oriental
were disheartened to see several people stop their convoy at the road to ask for
food and water.
Capt. Narciso Boy Tablate of Inayagan, Naga City, Cebu, who heads the Rescue
761 team, lamented that he saw people waving their hands asking them to give
them food and water.
"If we give them our supplies, we won't have anything left," Tablate said.
Their convoy was headed to Giuhulngan and La Libertad towns, two of the
hardest-hit areas.
At the landslide site in barangay Sulonggon, La Libertad, Tablate said they
have to get their own food.
Social workers from the Department of Social Welfare and Development in
Central Visayas (DSWD-7) also faced the same problem.
DSWD-7 information officer Jaybee Binghay said they were unable to stop for
residents who asked for their supplies during their route to Guihulngan.
Binghay said their 2,000 family packs of foods and used clothing were already
appropriated for families in the towns of Guihulngan, La Libertad, Bindoy and
Tayasan.
Binghay said they have to remove the DSWD streamers that hung from their two
big trucks during their route from San Carlos City towards Negros Oriental.
They reached Guihulngan at noontime when President Benigno Aquino III visited
the area.
She said the assistance maybe too slow but the people should understand that
it's difficult to travel because of the damage roads and bridges.
About 1,400 family packs were distributed yesterday afternoon to Guihulngan,
while 200 family packs will be delivered to La Libertad, 300 packs for Bindoy
and 100 food packs for Tayasan.
Each food pack has three kilos of rice, canned goods and used clothing. They
also delivered mats, blankets, mosquito nets, slippers and tents.
Tablate, who is also vice president of the Federation of Radio Clubs under
the National Telecommunications Communications (NTC), said they helped in the
search for 42 missing people in barangay Sulonggon, La Libertad town.
Cebu Coast Guard station commander Rolando Punzalan said two Cebu-based
search-and-rescue vessels are already in Negros Oriental to transport the food
and relief items together with the rescuers and medical volunteers.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said he is asking the Cebu City Council to
extend P5-million assistance for earthquake-affected towns in Negros Oriental.
As chairman of the Regional Development Council (RDC-7), Rama said he is also
asking other local government units (LGUs) under the council to extend their
financial assistance to the affected towns.
Pending the release of financial assistance, the Cebu city government sent
three paramedics and 300 bags of dextrose to Negros Oriental.
Rama gave his contact numbers yesterday to those asking for assistance.
He may be reached through cell phone number 0917-3284711 and landline no.
416-8686. /By Gabriel C. Bonjoc, Edison delos Angeles and Jhunnex Napallacan,
Correspondents with a story from Reporter Candeze R. Mongaya
VIDEO FROM FOX NEWS: Around the World: Earthquake rocks
Philippines Feb 7, 2012 - 1:26 -
At least 12 dead after 6.9 magnitude quake hits island
nation
Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE
NEWS ONLINE
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