VP Sara visits quake-hit Davao Occidental towns

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte celebrated Father’s Day yesterday by visiting families hit by the powerful earthquake in the towns of Sarangani and Jose Abad Santos in Davao Occidental.

Duterte checked on the conditions of evacuees who were staying in makeshift tents and emergency shelters in both towns, the worst hit by the quake in the province.

The Vice President distributed assistance to the affected families, according to an ABS-CBN report.

The Office of Civil Defense in Soccsksargen pegged at 56 the number of fatalities in the magnitude 7.8 quake that hit Mindanao on June 8. The OCD said the Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine National Police, the Army and local emergency responders continue to search for 18 people still listed as missing.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said over 10,000 classrooms were damaged by the quake. He ordered the construction of modular learning continuity spaces to accommodate students.

“Funds are being released and processed for the repair, rehabilitation and reconstruction of damaged schools and classrooms,” Angara said on social media.

He said schools in Cotabato, Kidapawan, Koronadal, Tacurong and Sultan Kudarat were allowed to resume learning activities.

In General Santos, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. ordered a more comprehensive structural assessment of the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority fish port complex in the city, noting that the quake forced the temporary closure of several sections of one of the country’s most critical fisheries facilities.

“Although the wharf generally appeared structurally sound, we should expedite further inspection of subsurface conditions. We cannot risk the lives of our people who rely on this fish port for their livelihood,” Tiu Laurel said.

Meanwhile, the Army continues to expand its disaster impact mitigation operations in General Santos and in South Cotabato and Sarangani provinces, even after 13 soldiers were pulled out over the weekend due to severe exhaustion.

Major Generals Jose Vladimir Cagara and Alvin Luzon, Army 6th Infantry Division and 10th Infantry Division chiefs, respectively, said yesterday their units are deployed in far-flung communities in the three areas, helping line agencies and local executives provide evacuees with relief interventions.

Luzon said the Army would continue with its disaster response efforts in the three areas as long as needed.

“Their morale is high, unaffected by physical exhaustion. We are seeing to it that they stay healthy and strong for longtime disaster impact mitigation initiatives,” Luzon said.

Cagara said they have enough personnel on standby to augment soldiers deployed in South Cotabato and Sarangani provinces, if needed.

“We really cannot thank them (soldiers) enough. Some of them have become so physically exhausted working round-the-clock, serving earthquake victims in our province, in Sarangani and in General Santos City,” Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. said. -- Josiah Antonio, Bella Cariaso