Leyte quake leaves P61-M damage

MANILA, Philippines - Damage to property from the magnitude 6.5 earthquake that rocked Leyte has reached P61.6 million, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported yesterday.

NDRRMC spokesperson Mina Marasigan said the quake destroyed roads (P51.6 million), bridges (P8.7 million), national buildings (P700,000) and hospital facilities (P650,000).

Marasigan said the recorded damage in Ormoc City, Kananga town and other parts of Leyte totaled P61,636,608.02.

She said among the health facilities destroyed by the tremor were the Ormoc District Hospital, Kananga Municipal Hospital and the rural health center of Kananga.

A total of 1,136 houses were damaged by the July 6 earthquake.

 A magnitude 5.8 aftershock jolted Leyte and nearby provinces on Monday, leaving five children injured in Barangay Gaas.

The earthquake was previously recorded at magnitude 5.4 but was later upgraded to magnitude 5.8.

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines has resumed testing a bypass line from Ormoc to Tabango, Leyte to restore electricity to areas affected by the tremor.

Once testing is completed, the NDRRMC said power would be restored in Samar, Leyte, Biliran and Bohol.

 Several areas remain without electricity after the quake damaged power facilities in Leyte.

More aftershocks

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has recommended the relocation of families living on top of active faults in some parts of Leyte.

Science Undersecretary and Phivolcs officer-in-charge Renato Solidum Jr. made the recommendation to local officials of Leyte during a recent briefing in the province.

As of 7 a.m. yesterday, a total of 827 aftershocks, with magnitudes ranging from 1.5 to 5.8, were recorded.

Solidum said 22 of these were felt quakes.

“We still monitor aftershock sequence,” he said, adding that the possibility of a larger quake from the same fault is “low.”

 Solidum said some of the houses severely damaged by the strong earthquake in Barangay Tongonan in Ormoc City and Barangay Rizal in Kananga town were built atop the fault.

He stressed the importance of earthquake preparedness as the province is one of the seismically active areas in the country because of the Philippine Fault and Philippine Trench.

 Solidum said the northern side of Leyte Fault, which triggered last Thursday’s earthquake, could generate tremors of magnitude 7 or less.

 He said another active fault, the Central Leyte Fault, has not significantly moved yet.

Phivolcs has estimated a magnitude 7.2 quake that could be generated by the Central Leyte Fault, he said.

Classes disrupted

At least 20 schools in Leyte were damaged by the earthquake, affecting thousands of students, according to the Department of Education (DepEd).

 Ronilo Al Fermo, Leyte Division Schools superintendent, said 10 of these schools were totally destroyed.

These are in the towns of Kananga, Jaro, Barugo, San Isidro, Inopacan, Albuera, Merida, Barugo and San Miguel.

 Fermo told The STAR that school administrators were forced to implement class shifts.

Fermo asked the DepEd main office to allocate P120 million for the immediate repair of the damaged school buildings.

 He said they have coordinated with the Department of Health to provide psycho-social intervention to students traumatized by the quake.

Classes in all levels in the towns of Jaro, Carigara, Kananga and Capoocan and Tacloban City remain suspended until today, Gov. Dominic Petilla said.

Donations pour in

Donations and relief assistance continue to pour in for the earthquake victims, Ormoc Mayor Richard Gomez said.

Gomez said the Ormoc Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. raised P300,000 in cash donation as of yesterday.   –  With Helen Flores, Lalaine Jimenea, Miriam Desacada