Disaster Relief Operations Launched in Northern Luzon Amid Earthquake Devastation

Strategic Insights -

The national and local governments have activated disaster and relief operations in areas affected by a magnitude 7 earthquake in northern Luzon, resulting in one death, several injuries, and landslides in the Cordillera region. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Erwin Tulfo has assured assistance and support from the national government, with food items and cash assistance being transported to affected areas. Meanwhile, troops from the 24th Infantry Battalion have been deployed to help with relief efforts.

Key Takeaways:

  • The DSWD-CAR has a total of 24,247 family food packs worth PHP16,047,220.51 available, with 4,434 packs prepositioned in Abra, 1,000 each in Apayao and Ifugao, 1,231 in Mountain Province, and 1,294 in Kalinga.
  • Non-food items such as family tents, modular tents, sleeping kits, hygiene kits, sanitation kits, kitchen boxes, and malong are also available for dispatch.
  • Congressman Eric Yap has coordinated with private contractors to help clear roads of landslides in Benguet, which connects to other parts of the region like Mountain Province, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Abra.
  • The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has closed several roads due to landslides, including the Kennon Road, Benguet-Vizcaya Road, Baguio-Bua-Itogon Road, and Mt. Data Cliff.
  • The Baguio-Bontoc Road and the Mountain Province-Cagayan Road via the Tabuk-Enrile Road have already been cleared, while work is ongoing to clear the Mountain Province-Nueva Vizcaya Road and the Dantay-Sagada Road.
  • Work and class suspensions have been ordered in government and schools in Baguio City, Benguet, and Abra, with building owners instructed to prevent entry into their structures pending structural stability assessment.

Statistics:

  • A total of 24,247 family food packs are available for distribution, worth PHP16,047,220.51.
  • 4,434 family food packs have been prepositioned in Abra.
  • 1,000 family food packs are each available in Apayao and Ifugao.
  • 1,231 family food packs are available in Mountain Province.
  • 1,294 family food packs are available in Kalinga.
  • More than 200 aftershocks have been recorded since the earthquake struck Abra at 8:43 a.m.
  • One casualty was reported in Benguet, while several others were injured in Abra.

Sources:

  • Philippine News Agency (PNA)
  • Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
  • Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)
  • Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs)