By Samuel P. Medenilla & Butch Fernandez
President Duterte has ordered all government agencies on Thursday to ensure the safety of structures and continuous delivery of services to quake-stricken areas in Mindanao.
The President’s order came a few minutes after parts of Region 10 and 12 were jolted anew by a 6.5-magnitude earthquake on Thursday morning.
In an interview, Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III disclosed the President sent the directive to all members of the Cabinet to provide the necessary assistance to quake victims.
“Monitor the areas affected by recent multiple earthquakes. Please prepare efforts relevant to you agencies especially, DPWH [Department of Public Works and Highways], DOE [Department of Energy], DICT [Department of Information and Communications Technology] and DepEd [Department of Education],” said Bello reading the SMS from Duterte.
DPWH was tasked to assess whether roads or highways are passable or not, while DepEd will determine if public-school buildings are safe.
The DOE and DICT will ensure there are no power and communications interruptions, respectively, in Mindanao.
This was affirmed by Presidential Spokesman Salvador S. Panelo in a separate statement.
“The President had directed all agencies and responsible local government units to provide the necessary assistance and immediate relief to those affected,” Panelo said.
Labor-related aid
For its part, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) deployed teams in the affected areas to determine the workers who may be displaced by the recent disaster.
“I have sent Undersecretary Ana Dione and Assistant Secretary Benjo Santos Benavidez to proceed to General Santos City and Davao City to lead our regional DOLE officials in the assessment of the situation,” Bello said.
Bello added that they have around P100 million to provide emergency employment and livelihood to qualified beneficiaries.
“This Sunday, I will personally fly to Davao City to see the extent of the damage and its effect on the employment of our kababayans,” Bello said
Bello added that he will be accompanied by Occupational Safety and Health Center Executive Director Noel Binag, who will head the safety assessment of the affected workplaces.
Trade Union Congress of the Philippines Spokesman Alan Tanjusay said they had to receive any damage or casualty report from their members in Mindanao.
Safe and sound
In radio interviews, Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go assured the public that the President is safe after another strong earthquake hit the southern parts of Mindanao on Thursday morning, October 31. Go also said that the President has ordered concerned government agencies to ensure the safety and well-being of residents in affected areas.
Duterte was in his home in Davao City when a 6.5-magnitude earthquake, with Tulunan, North Cotabato as the epicenter, occurred at 9:11 a.m., two days after a 6.6-magnitude earthquake and two weeks after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit the same area. Hundreds of aftershocks were also recorded in between the main shocks.
“Kahit noong mga nakaraang lindol, nag-utos ang Pangulo sa lahat ng governmentagencies na ikutin ang lahat ng structures, ang government at school buildings, siguraduhing safe. Ang mga anak ay dapat ilagay sa safe na lugar,” Go said.
“Handa naman po ang gobyerno natin at ang ating DPWH, iniinspeksyon kaagad lahat ng mga gusali na talagang tinamaan,” Go explained. He added that local government units are also ready to provide assistance to affected communities.
As to reports that the continuous earthquakes have damaged many structures, Go said that government agencies should be strict in implementing the relevant laws, particularly the National Building Code, which the senator plans to revisit and propose necessary amendments to ensure safety amid recurring natural disasters, such as earthquakes.
“It is high time na amyendahan ang National Building Code. Matagal na ito, saka andaming nakakalusot. Huwag nang hintayin na may gumuhong gusali. Dapat maging istrikto,” he said.
The National Building Code was promulgated in 1977 when then- President Ferdinand E. Marcos issued Presidential Decree 1096. Go recognizes that there may be a need to amend the law and make it updated with the demands of the 21st century, and with the increase in strength and frequency of natural calamities, such as earthquakes and typhoons.
“The government, through the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council [NDRRMC] and the Office of Civil Defense, is currently on top of the situation,” Panelo added.
Among those affected by the tremor on Thursday was Duterte himself, who was staying at his residence in Davao City.
“The President is safe in his home in Davao and is closely monitoring the developments. The President considers all situations arising from natural disasters that have caused widespread destruction to lives and property a top concern,” Panelo said.
Presidential Security Group (PSG) chief Brig. Gen. Jose Eriel Neimbra said engineers have been deployed to ensure the structural integrity of Duterte’s home, especially after several cracks appeared on its walls in the aftermath of the recent quake.
As of press time, Niembra said Duterte is expected to still push through with his trip to Thailand for the 35th Asean Summit in Thailand from November 1 to 4.
Legislative amendment
In the aftermath of three strong earthquakes, several buildings in Mindanao collapsed or were damaged due to sheer intensity of the tremors.
“A total of 2,704 infrastructures in Regions 9, 10, 11, 12, and BARMM [Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao] were reported damaged due to the incident,” NDRRMC said in its latest advisory.
It said this affected 25,630 people from 59 affected barangays. Of which, eight died, 395 were injured and two are missing.
Communication Secretary Martin M. Andanar cited the extend of the damaged structure in renewing their call for the amendment of the National Building Code.
“It’s high time to revamp and tighten this outdated law as its current framework is very lax. Let us not wait for a disaster to happen before we become strict in granting building permits,” Andanar said.
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