INFRASTRUCTURAL damage in Davao de Oro caused by the magnitude 6.0 earthquake on February 1, 2023, was estimated to cost around P3.4 million.
During the virtual press conference on February 3, 2023, Davao de Oro Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO-Davao de Oro) said several classrooms, properties, houses, and a hospital were among the infrastructures that were damaged after the quake.
Among the affected schools, the Montevista National High School has the highest number of classrooms that incurred major damage with six. It also recorded six computer units damaged.
In New Bataan District, 14 classrooms were recorded to have obtained minor cracks while 18 classrooms in Compostela Central Elementary School.
The school infrastructure damage affected a total of 197,015 learners in 419 private and public schools in the province.
The local government units in the province were quick to suspend the classes but were already lifted as of February 3, 2023. However, there were still five schools that had extended the suspension. These are the Compostela National High School, Maparat National High School, Side-4 Integrated School (MES Annex) Mangayon, and Compostela Central Elementary School.
Joel Umalon, the Department of Education of Davao de Oro (DepEd-Davao de Oro) representative said the suspension of classes in these schools will only be lifted once the structural integrity assessment is done.
However, DepEd-Davao de Oro said students are still continuing to learn through blended education.
“Our students are under modular classes starting yesterday until the suspension will be lifted,” Umalon said during the virtual press conference.
Meanwhile, PDRRMO reported that a total of three houses were totally damaged in Compostela, four in Montevista, and one in Nabunturan.
While 76 partially damaged houses in Compostela, 16 in Montevista, and one in Nabunturan.
Also, a power interruption was reported in Monkayo while the Municipal Hall of Montivesta was temporarily vacated as according to the initial structural integrity assessment, the building was not safe to be occupied.
Meanwhile, around 600 individuals composed of patients, watchers, and hospital staff were evacuated from the Davao de Oro Provincial Hospital in Montevista when the earthquake struck. But the PDRRMO was quick to add that as of press time, February 3, 2023, there were no more evacuees as they were either sent back to the hospital, referred to other health facilities, or discharged.
In its assessment, PDRRMO said there were 11 municipalities with a total of 237 barangays, and 767,547 individuals were affected by the quake.
The Provincial Government Unit (PGU) of Davao de Oro and the national government immediately sent assistance and conducted relief goods distribution to the affected families and individuals.
The province added that it has no plans to declare a state of calamity.
“Lahat naman safe, even the assessment conducted by the structural engineers, safe pa naman lahat, so walang rason para mag-declare ng state of calamity,” Prof. Edward Macapili, executive assistant of the Governor of Davao de Oro, said. KSD