MANILA — Search and rescue efforts in Cebu have been halted with rescuers now being tapped in aid distribution efforts, the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) in Central Visayas said on Friday as the government sought to speed up the delivery of food and other necessities for those who were displaced by the 6.9-magnitude quake that jolted the region earlier this week.
While 68 dead and 559 injured people were recorded, there are no more missing persons reported, said Joel Erestain, regional director of OCD Region 7.
“We have terminated all search and rescue activities. They were demobilized yesterday,” he told state television PTV.
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“May mga dumating na search and rescue teams na hindi nila alam na nagdemobilize na so we are converting them into distribution team,” he said.
The OCD has distributed tents as displaced families have been staying in open spaces instead of evacuation centers, Erestain said, adding that the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) will be in charge of the organization of tent cities for quake victims.
“Tsini-check din natin yung mga tents so we can manage our resources,” he said.
“Kailangan maspread out natin, maoptimize natin ang ating mga resources para mas maraming makinabang,” he said.
HELP FROM AFP
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has deployed over 300 personnel to help in post-disaster efforts in Cebu, said AFP Spokesperson Col. Margareth Francel Padilla.
“We are under the guidance ng OCD and ng NDRRMC (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council)… How we will be deployed and what we are bringing, nakaantabay kami diyan,” she said in a separate interview.
“Kabilang sa mga pangunahing hamon na hinaharap natin ay 'yung access sa mga malalayong lugar,” she said.
“May constraints tayo, may mga sira-sirang daan, may mga areas na may posibleng landslide and of course communications,” she said.
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The AFP deployed “signal teams” to help restore communication lines after the temblor toppled power and communication lines in some parts of Cebu, Padilla said.
“Hindi natin nakukuha kung sino kaagad yung nangangailangan ng tulong dahil down po ang ating communication lines,” she said.
“Ang ating mga signal teams nagsusumikap para maibalik ang ating command and control and coordination through other means,” she added. “Ang isa pa pong constraint itong pagbabago ng panahon dulot ng paparating na bagyo.”
BOGO HOSPITAL
The Department of Public Works and Highways has announced that the hospital in Bogo City is safe for occupancy after the temblor, the OCD official said.
“Luckily, spared po ang provincial hospital ng Bogo City. Nagbigyan na po ng clearance ng DPWH na it’s [structurally] sound,” he said.
“As we speak, the patients are being returned to the hospital, into their rooms,” he said.
The OCD reported that there was no significant damage in island barangays and island municipalities in the Northern Cebu.
Cebu quake leaves P3-billion infrastructure damage: local gov't
The provincial government of Cebu earlier estimated some P3 billion worth of infrastructure damage in the entire province after the earthquake reduced some establishments, churches, and homes into rubble.