FIVE mall employees were rescued and structural damages were reported after a magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck near Cotabato and was felt in Cagayan de Oro City Tuesday, October 29.
The said employees of Ayala Centrio Mall were then preparing to open their stores at 10:00 a.m. The quake occurred at 9:04 a.m.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the quake was felt at Intensity VI in Cagayan de Oro.
An hour later, another jolt was felt in the city around 10:44 a.m.
At noon, the Department of Education declared suspension of classes in all levels, instructing all "teachers to ensure their students are all safe".
Meanwhile, minutes after the quake, the mall management announced it is closed for the whole day yesterday to pave the way for a thorough inspection of the building.
Nick Jabagat, officer-in-charge of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department (CDRRMD) said debris from the components of the mall building fell but the main building structure is stable and safe.
"Naay pagliki sa building but dili sa main posts, more on sa masonry cracks lang but still they need to repair it because it would pose risk for the mall goers," Jabagat said.
The mall tile flooring also protruded after the quake.
Call center company Teleperformance which is just beside the mall also incurred damages from the quake but Jabagat said only components of the building were damaged, and not the main building structure.
However, the call center's fire exit was declared unsafe.
Jabagat said although the management can decide to open the mall, the Office of the Building Official (OBO) has the last say whether a building is safe for use or not.
Meanwhile, cracks were also observed in JR Borja Hospital, but was declared safe for use and occupancy by the engineering office.
As of this writing, the CDRRMD is still consolidating damage reports.
The Provincial Engineering Office meanwhile reported no damages from the quake that was felt at intensity IV in Misamis Oriental.