THE Davao City Government will continue delivering aid to affected areas of Davao del Sur until the end of December as Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Davao reported a total of 12 deaths following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake on December 15.
In a City Information Office (CIO) statement, the City Government already delivered more relief goods to quake-hit towns of Padada and Hagonoy in Davao del Sur on Wednesday, December 25. The two towns were among the heavily-damaged areas after the quake. On top of that, the city also provided cash aid amounting to P300,000 for the two towns.
Additional evacuation materials were also delivered, including 1,200 meters of tarpaulin, 40 pieces of mosquito nets, 40 pieces of blankets, 20 pieces of casseroles, and four sacks of assorted clothes.
The team also brought some goods to Barangay San Isidro, Barangay Piape, and Barangay Punta Piape of Padada. The municipality received a total of 2,000 packs of relief goods from the city government.
“Dako kaayo ko’g pasalamat sa city government of Davao through Mayor Inday Sara Duterte sa iyang mga gipadala karon. Amo gyud ning magamit Mayor. Ako sad pasalamatan ang una nimong tabang sa amoa-ang 300,000,” Padada Mayor Pedro Caminero, Jr. said.
(I am very grateful to the City Government of Davao through Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio for the donations delivered today. This will be very useful for us here, Mayor. I also want to thank you for your initial help to us the P300,000 cash assistance.)
Assistance to Hagonoy were particularly distributed to Barangay Aplaya, Balutakay, Guihing, and Malabang where a total of 400 families are residing.
According to Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the earthquake that rocked Davao del Sur is the strongest earthquake in Mindanao this year.
In an (OCD)-Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC) Davao data as of Thursday, December 26, there are already 12 individuals recorded dead because of the earthquake. Half of this number died because of heart failure.
The six victims who died of heart failure were identified as Fernando Balitayo, 63 (Magsaysay); Corazon Yanes, 79 (Digos City); Juanita Hiwasa, 68, (Digos City); Carlito Ebon, 71 (Hagonoy); Juliana Cagas, 81, (Matanao); and Elias Degamon (Bansalan).
The massive quake also claimed the lives of Joy Momo (Sulop), Sharbel Chen Gador, six, (Matanao), and Romeo Sulop, 10, (Malita).
Meanwhile, Elsa A. Ababon, 40 (Padada); Evangeline T. Artiaga (Sulop) and Emely G. Celoy (Sulop) were found dead after they failed to flee from the collapsed Southern Trade Shopping Center in Padada, Davao del Sur.
OCD Davao also reported that there are 36,575 individuals who are still staying in 78 evacuation centers spread throughout Davao del Sur while others staying outside the evacuation centers are about 96,161.