NorCot govt assists Makilala quake victims

COTABATO CITY, Sept. 24 (PNA) - The North Cotabato Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center (PDRRMOC) completed Tuesday its assessment on damages wrought by a recent magnitude 5 earthquake that struck parts of the province, severely hitting the village of Luayon in Makilala town. On Sept. 20, at least seven villages in Makilala, namely those of Luayon, Sto. Niño, Villa Flores, New Baguio, Guangan, Luna Norte and Bato, were rocked by the temblor and succeeding aftershocks that day, PDRRMOC Chief Cynthia Ortega noted. In Luayon, which was celebrating its 62nd village anniversary when the disaster struck, some 155 houses were affected including 32 residences that were flattened to the ground,” Ortega said. She further disclosed that the earthquake also damaged a church and a barangay hall. She said over 208 affected families, consisting of 1,014 individuals, are currently housed at the Luayon village health center and are being attended by provincial health workers. The PDRRMOC has initially distributed food items to the affected families and provisional tarpaulins for temporary shelter. Fortunately, there were no reported fatalities on the incident,” she stressed. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) recorded that said that the strong tremor was felt around 12:26 pm Saturday, some 14 km Southwest of Kidapawan City. Apart from Kidapawan City and Makilala, the quake was also felt at Intensity 3 in M'lang and Tulunan towns and Intensity 2 in Matalam and Antipas. North Cotabato Governor Emmylou Mendoza, who was in Luayon that time as guest of honor at the village’s celebration, said the program was abruptly halted due to the shaking of the ground. Mendoza said she immediately instructed the PDRRMOC to assess the damage of the quake in the province. (PNA)