GENERAL SANTOS CITY, (Philippines): More than two months after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Sarangani province, more than 18,000 people remain in evacuation centres and temporary shelters, while others continue to stay with relatives after their homes were damaged, the Office of Civil Defence (OCD) in Soccsksargen said Friday (Aug 14).
OCD-12 Regional Director Rodrigo Sosmeña said some internally displaced persons (IDPs) have yet to return home because their houses were totally damaged or because continuing aftershocks remain a threat.
Sosmeña, who also chairs the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC-12), said the region was transitioning from early recovery to rehabilitation and recovery following the offshore earthquake on June 8.
Despite progress in the recovery effort, he said significant challenges remained, particularly for thousands of displaced residents in Sarangani.
To support the transition, the RDRRMC-12 deployed 120 technical personnel from various government agencies and private organisations to conduct a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) in affected areas across Soccsksargen.
Sosmeña said the PDNA aims to consolidate validated data on damages, losses and recovery needs for submission to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, which will help mobilise resources for rehabilitation and recovery.
On Tuesday (Aug 11), PDNA teams documented collapsed walls, shattered windows, damaged roofs and houses left leaning in several villages in Tboli, South Cotabato, one of the areas hardest hit by the June 8 earthquake.
Aside from inspecting damaged houses and interviewing residents, the teams assessed schools and roads and documented damage to cornfields and coconut trees, which are important sources of livelihood for communities in the area.
Tboli, a mountainous municipality, is home to numerous Indigenous Peoples communities.
The teams also inspected reported damage to the Maasim Public Market and Maasim Water District facilities in Maasim, Sarangani, the municipality closest to the earthquake’s epicentre.
Using GPS map cameras, the teams documented damage to agricultural areas, including toppled coconut trees and tension cracks in Barangay Bales.
“Because of this, it is important to assess not only the damage to infrastructure and houses but also the earthquake’s impact on their livelihoods and communities,” Sosmeña said. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
