MindaNews / 10 October – Except for the provincial government of Davao del Sur, all provinces in Region 12 and Davao City have ordered the suspension of work in both government and private offices and classes in all public and private schools following the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck the area Friday morning and left some structures damaged.
The provincial governors of Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao Occidental, and Davao Oriental, the province closest to the epicenter, issued the orders, which were posted on their Facebook pages, to give way to safety assessments.
But in Davao de Oro, Gov. Raul Mabanglo said “the suspension is subject to the discretion of the local chief executives based on the situation in their respective areas.”
The Davao City government said private offices and establishments are given the discretion to suspend work or adopt work-from-home arrangements, “but are encouraged to do so for the safety and convenience of their employees.”
Meanwhile, Commodore Philipps Soria, commander of Coast Guard District Southeastern Mindanao ordered a suspension of sea travel for vessels transiting their area of responsibility in view of the tsunami alert raised shortly after the earthquake.
In Surigao del Sur, Gov. Johnny Pimentel directed all mayors in the province to ensure the immediate evacuation of coastal residents to higher grounds and to implement preparedness protocols.
Work and classes in all levels in both public and private schools were ordered suspended starting 11 a.m. Friday until further notice.
The city government of Tandag, the provincial capital of Surigao del Sur, suspended all sea and river activities as per the advisory of its City Risk Reduction and Management Office.
The tremor’s epicenter was located 48 kilometers northeast of Manay, Davao Oriental and had a depth of 23 kilometers, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
Following the quake, Phivolcs and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning for coastal provinces facing the Pacific Ocean. Residents in Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands, and Davao Oriental were advised to move to higher ground or at least one kilometer away from the shoreline as a precaution.
Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices in coastal barangays activated evacuation protocols, clearing fishing zones and beachfront areas while monitoring sea levels.
There were no confirmed reports of casualties or major infrastructure damage in Surigao del Sur based on initial assessment. (Queenie Casio, with a report from H. Marcos C. Mordeno/MindaNews)
