When Secretary Vince Dizon of the Department of Public Works and Highways declared the Manay District Hospital unsafe, Dr. Bernadette Rivera was most concerned about water. Amid the rubble of the hospital, Rivera approached DSWD officials during Dizon’s media briefing to address the urgent need for running water for the medical tent set up outside the damaged facility. The one-story hospital, once a 25-bed facility, was deemed unsafe after two major quakes struck on October 10, 2025, leaving most patients discharged and the medical tent as the primary care center. However, without consistent water supply, Rivera and her team faced challenges in treating patients. Water pressure had been intermittent since the quakes, with locals reporting a burst water pipe. Photos of the damaged hospital circulated online, drawing widespread concern. Rivera, rotating with five doctors and 71 staff, managed the makeshift hospital in DSWD-provided tents. Seven patients had been discharged by Saturday, but 68-year-old Cesar Balante, a heart patient, awaited transfer to the Davao Oriental Provincial Medical Center in Mati City. Balante and his wife narrowly escaped collapsing ceilings during the quake, expressing gratitude for surviving. Dizon, alongside other cabinet secretaries, inspected the site and promised additional tents. Meanwhile, Mayor Jon Marco Dayanghirang highlighted the town’s water shortage, prompting Dizon to coordinate with the Local Water Utilities Administration for expedited assistance. Despite the challenges, Rivera and her team continued their efforts, relying on salvaged equipment and a nearby generator but struggling without water for medical procedures and sanitation. The hospital, established in 1982 and expanded in 1992, now lies in ruins, with its future uncertain. (Yas Ocampo / MindaNews)
