Mindanao quake death toll rises to 45

THE 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Mindanao on Monday has killed at least 45 people, the state disaster agency said, as tens of thousands remained displaced while aftershocks continue to rattle the island.

In its June 9 situational report, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported 487 people were injured while 17 remained missing, as of Tuesday, 6 p.m., with figures still subject to ongoing validation.

The earthquake also affected a total of 149,372 persons across four regions, including Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, and Soccsksargen. Of this, approximately 32,464 people are currently taking shelter in 57 evacuation centers, while another 8,973 are staying with relatives or friends.

The tectonic earthquake, attributed to subduction along the Cotabato Trench, occurred on June 8 at 7:37 a.m. with its epicenter near Maasim, Sarangani, at a depth of 33 kilometers.

As of Wednesday, state seismologists recorded 1,738 aftershocks, with magnitudes ranging from 1.3 to 6.4.

The report also noted that 2,994 houses were damaged, including 495 that were totally destroyed; while infrastructure damage is estimated at P15 million, with 238 structures reported damaged across the impacted areas.

Power outages hit 13 cities and municipalities, though services have been restored in seven areas as of Wednesday. The earthquake also induced 10 reported landslides, primarily in Davao Occidental and Sarangani.

Search, rescue, and retrieval operations remain active, involving 3,773 personnel and 110 assets from the military, police, coast guard, and fire bureau.

Government agencies and local units have provided approximately P18.4 million in food and non-food assistance to affected families. Work stoppages remain in 124 affected localities as safety inspections proceed.

Authorities have also suspended classes in 210 cities and municipalities, with the Education department deploying engineers to evaluate the safety of school structures before any resumption of learning is allowed.

‘HARDEST HIT’
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Wednesday inspected several quake-stricken facilities in Mindanao, saying engineers are conducting safety assessments for buildings infrastructure with visible damage.

In General Santos City, he visited St. Elizabeth Hospital and ordered concerned agencies to prioritize safety evaluations for all medical facilities in the region. He also visited Romana C. Acharon Central Elementary School and General Santos National High School, and likewise instructed evaluation of educational infrastructure.

“We still need to make sure it’s safe,” Mr. Marcos said in Filipino. “So the engineers are coming in to assess what parts of the building can still be used, what is no longer usable, and if the whole building needs to be demolished.”

“DBM (Department of Budget and Management) will provide funds, again from the LGSF, for infrastructure in Sarangani Province and then in South Cotabato, there is also damage there. But this is really the hardest hit — Sarangani is really the hardest hit,” Mr. Marcos said.

The provincial government of Sarangani on Wednesday officially placed the province under a state of calamity.

Separately, the Senate identified about P180 billion in funding for the reconstruction and conduct of relief efforts in Mindanao.

“Upon checking our remaining budget, we have about P180 billion in terms of available funds for reconstruction and other assistance to the quake victims,” Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin T. Gatchalian, who previously chaired the Finance committee, said in an online press briefing.

He added that the NDRRMC funds have a remaining amount of P17.8 billion, while P32 billion has been identified from the local government support fund.

Mr. Gatchalian said they are awaiting orders from the Executive regarding the conduct of a special session should a supplemental budget be deemed necessary to address the aftermath of the earthquake.

Senator Francis Pancratius “Kiko” N. Pangilinan earlier filed a bill seeking a supplemental budget of P15 billion for the reconstruction and relief assistance to the Mindanao quake victims.

Meanwhile, Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio separately led the deployment of food trucks providing hot meals and relief bags to displaced residents and first responders at the sites of collapsed buildings.

Ms. Duterte also said she visited the bereaved and injured in hospitals across Sarangani and General Santos City, overseeing the distribution of rice food bags and boxes of food and non-food items to the victims. 

For its part, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said it is preparing financial assistance and emergency jobs for workers in affected regions, alongside plans to establish a dedicated rescue and quick reaction team to help speed up the delivery of aid.

In a news release, Labor Secretary Francis N. Tolentino said the agency is coordinating with regional offices and the Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC) to profile affected workers and facilitate the release of assistance as damage assessments and relief operations continue.

Under existing ECC regulations, affected workers may receive P15,000 in financial assistance, while the families of workers who died in the earthquake may be granted an additional P30,000 funeral benefit, Mr. Tolentino said.

“Within this week, I’m creating a DoLE rescue team,” he said. “I’m also expanding the functions of occupational safety and health to include mental health because many people have been traumatized by this incident.”

The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), for its part, allocated P15.1 billion in emergency assistance for 608,343 members and pensioners affected by the earthquake.

The state pension fund will also fast-track the insurance claims of government agencies whose properties were damaged by the quake, GSIS President and General Manager Jose Arnulfo “Wick” A. Veloso said in a press release on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Social Housing Finance Corp. announced it halted the monthly amortization for quake-hit communities, covering the period from June 8 to July 7.

It noted the period is subject to extension, depending on the severity of damages. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking and Kaela Patricia B. Gabriel