Magnitude 6.8 earthquake in Mindanao triggers 120 aftershocks
A MAGNITUDE 6.8 earthquake that struck the southern Philippine Island of Mindanao last week has set off at least 120 aftershocks, the local volcanology institute said on Thursday.
Only six of the aftershocks were felt, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Director Teresito Bacolcol told ABS-CBN News TeleRadyo.
“It would probably take several days to several weeks before it dissipates,” he said in mixed English and Filipino. “The number of quakes goes down and the magnitude weakens as the days go by.”
The earthquake struck off Southern Mindanao on Friday and killed at least nine people and hurt 17 others, the local disaster agency said.
The Philippines lies along the typhoon belt in the Pacific and experiences about 20 storms each year. It also lies in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a belt of volcanoes around the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes strike.
Agricultural damage from the earthquake that hit Sarangani, Davao Occidental has reached P7.25 million, the Department of Agriculture said.
In a bulletin, the agency said more than a hundred farmers and fishermen had reported damage to crops, with volume loss of 168 metric tons (MT) spanning 81 hectares of farmland.
The affected commodities included corn, high-value crops, livestock and poultry, and fisheries, it said.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. visited General Santos City on Thursday, where he promised aid to quake victims.
He said rebuilding had yet to start due to aftershocks.
Mr. Marcos also ordered agencies to fast-track the repair of damaged infrastructure in Samar in central Philippines to ensure unhampered relief operations for flood victims. Many areas were still flooded due to incessant rains caused by the so-called shear line — the convergence of cold and warm winds that cause heavy rains and thunderstorms.
He was initially set to land in Catarman town in northern Samar but bad weather prompted him to stay in Tacloban City where he was briefed by local officials.
The country’s disaster agency said about 721,000 people from 180,788 families have been affected by the combined effects of shear line and low pressure area. It said 139 areas in Eastern Visayas and 41 areas in Western Visayas remained flooded. A total of 80,358 people have been displaced in the two regions, 40,454 of whom were staying in 170 evacuation centers.
More than 100 houses have been damaged.
Also on Thursday, the Budget department said P12.21 billion or 52.6% of the government’s P23.21-billion calamity fund had been released as of end-October.
National Government agencies received most of it at P10.74 billion.
The Public Works department received the biggest allocation of P6.01 billion, followed by the Social Welfare department (P3.15 billion), Agriculture department (P1 billion), Transportation department (P342.47 million), Defense department (P207.64 million) and Department of Science and Technology (P35.18 million). — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Adrian H. Halili and Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson
