COTABATO CITY(June 9) — Government offices across the Bangsamoro region resumed normal operations Tuesday after engineers declared key government buildings safe following the powerful earthquake that shook Mindanao a day earlier.
Abdulraof Macacua, interim chief minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), ordered all government employees to return to work after structural assessments confirmed that office buildings remained safe for occupancy.
“All BARMM employees are also reminded to always remain vigilant and cautious,” Macacua said in a statement issued Tuesday.
The order came a day after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Mindanao, with strong shaking felt across several parts of the Bangsamoro region. The tremor registered at Intensity V in Cotabato City, as well as in the provinces of Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte.
As a precaution, Macacua had earlier directed the temporary suspension of government operations to allow engineers and safety inspectors to assess public buildings and ensure the welfare of employees and visitors.
Following a briefing from the region’s Ministry of Public Works on Monday evening, the chief minister announced that all structures within the Bangsamoro Government Center were found intact and structurally sound.
While authorizing the resumption of work, Macacua urged government personnel to remain alert for possible aftershocks and to continue observing established safety protocols.
He also advised employees assigned to offices outside the Bangsamoro Government Center to follow safety advisories issued by their respective local government units.
The Bangsamoro region comprises the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Basilan, and Tawi-Tawi, as well as the Special Geographic Area in Cotabato Province and the two Maguindanao provinces.
“In times like these, it is important that we remain calm, vigilant, and prepared to respond to any potential danger as we continue to closely monitor the situation,” Macacua said.
Regional authorities continue to monitor seismic activity and assess conditions in communities affected by the earthquake, while urging residents to remain prepared for possible aftershocks.
