TANDAG CITY (MindaNews / 6 December)—The Surigao del Sur government has placed the province under a state of calamity in response to the impact of the 7.4 magnitude offshore earthquake that occurred on December 2, along with subsequent tremors and aftershocks.
Riders stop in front of the partially collapsed multipurpose covered court in Tagbina, Surigao del Sur on Sunday (3 December 2023). MindaNews photo by IVY MARIE MANGADLAO
In a resolution passed on Tuesday, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan stated that the declaration of a state of calamity is essential for the mandatory implementation of remedial measures and to expedite the relief and rehabilitation efforts of the provincial government.
The resolution, endorsed by the Surigao del Sur Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, is based on the initial and partial situational report from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), which indicates that over 30% of the province’s population has been affected.
According to the report, 237 barangays, 116,217 families, and 480,414 individuals are affected, with 20,977 families seeking refuge in various evacuation centers, displacing 69,771 people.
PDRRMO has confirmed two casualties—one in Bislig City due to a collapsed wall and another in Barobo caused by falling debris. Additionally, 17 people have been reported injured, with 834 houses completely damaged and 1,141 partially damaged.
A scene from the evacuation center in Barangay Bitoon, Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, taken on Monday (4 December 2023). Some evacuees opted to sleep outside the evacuation center, fearing that the ceiling might fall on them during aftershocks. MindaNews photo by IVY MARIE MANGADLAO
The office reported that the estimated cost of damage to infrastructure—including government buildings, schools, river dikes, and agriculture—is almost P110 million.
Section 21 of Republic Act No. 10121, also known as the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, stipulates that 30% of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund “shall be allocated as Quick Response Fund or stand-by fund for relief and recovery programs in order that situation and living conditions of people in communities or areas stricken by disasters, calamities, epidemics, or complex emergencies, may be normalized as quickly as possible.”
As of December 4, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has recorded a total of 1,700 aftershocks ranging from magnitude 1.4 to 6.2, with recurring aftershocks continuing to pose a threat.
On the night of December 4, preceding the provincial declaration, the municipal government of Hinatuan announced on Facebook that the Sangguniang Bayan had passed a resolution declaring the town under a state of calamity due to the widespread destruction.
Phivolcs had identified the epicenter of the December 2 earthquake at 29 kilometers northeast of Hinatuan. (Ivy Marie Mangadlao / MindaNews)
