DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 10 March) – New Bataan town in Davao de Oro has been placed under a state of calamity in the aftermath of the recent earthquakes that rocked the province and its neighboring areas this week.
In a resolution passed on Friday, the Sangguniang Bayan said the declaration would allow the local government to immediately address the needs of its residents stricken by the earthquakes, which left “damages to residential houses and infrastructures.”
A declaration of a state of calamity is required before a local government could use its quick response fund.
Under Section 21 of Republic Act 10121 or Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, at least 30% of the local disaster risk reduction management fund “shall be allocated as Quick Response Fund or standby fund for relief and recovery programs in order that situation and living conditions of people in communities or areas stricken by disasters, calamities, epidemics, or complex emergencies, may be normalized as quickly as possible.”
Regional Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC)-Davao reported that the recent earthquakes left an estimated damage of P42,320,000 and affected a total of 2,942 families or 13,560 individuals in the region.
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake shook parts of Davao Region last March 6 while two more major tremors ranging from magnitude 5.6 to 5.9 were reported the following day with epicenters in New Bataan, Davao de Oro.As of 12 noon of March 9, the RDRRMC-Davao reported a total of 1,120 earthquakes, of which 27 could be felt. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
