DAVAO ORIENTAL (September 11) – There were no injuries or fatalities reported on the 6.4 earthquake, which shook Davao Oriental and nearby cities last Saturday.
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) Assistant Officer Francis Jason Bendulo said that only minor damages have been reported.
Minor damages have been reported in the municipality of Manay, which was the earthquake’s epicenter. The MDRRMC in coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and its DRRM team continue with its damage assessment.
In Barangay Central in Tarragona town, the MDRRMO reported damages that include one partially damaged house in NASA 2 and damages on the national road along Purok Buhangin. There were also noted structural damages on the Regional Evacuation Center. Some parts of a parish church have also been damaged. In Barangay Jovellar, Tarragona, a landslide took place at Purok Cambitan but the road is still passable. In Tomoaong, one lane of the road was damaged due to fallen boulders while 10 houses were reported as partially damaged in Kamuning area. Several houses were also damaged in Barangay Maganda and roads partially damaged due to tension cracks and moderate landslide. There was also a landslide at Tagubon area in Barangay Lucatan.
The DPWH together with the Local Government Unit of Tarragona has conducted clearing operations along the national roads for fallen rocks and boulders. Meanwhile, in the City of Mati, patients and hospital staff who were evacuated yesterday at the Davao Oriental Provincial Medical Center have now returned inside the hospital facility after the engineering and the disaster teams have declared it safe for them to go back. The hospital management said they made sure that all electrical wirings were checked first before allowing patients and staff to return. Some cracks, however, were noted on the walls of the hospital. Moreover, one house was reported totally damage and four partially damage in an Islamic area in Magsaysay, City of Mati. Minor cracks at the Manay District Hospital were also reported.
Residents along the coastlines are taking necessary precautions although there was no advisory for a tsunami threat. There was no damage reported in the municipalities of Banaybanay, Lupon, San Isidro, Gov Gen, Boston, Cateel, Baganga, Caraga.
Governor Nelson Dayanghirang called on the residents of the province to continue to stay calm, vigilant and take the necessary precautions against all hazards.  Residents along the coastlines were also advised to take necessary precautions.
Based on bulletin posted by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Saturday’s 6.4 magnitude quake which occurred at 3:16 in the afternoon was tectonic in origin with a depth of 28 kilometers. -PIO
