The damage to infrastructure caused by the two powerful earthquakes in Surigao del Sur two weeks ago has now reached the P1-billion mark.
A situation report released by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Saturday, Dec. 16, showed that a total of 1,125 infrastructure projects were damaged in Caraga (Region 13) and Davao Region (Region 11) due to the Dec. 2 and Dec. 4 earthquakes, resulting to an accumulated loss of P1,100,526,558.
The most heavily affected area was Surigao del Sur as a total of 553 infrastructure projects such as bridges, roads, schools, health stations and other government facilities were either destroyed or heavily damaged.
Also affected were Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Butuan City and Dinagat Islands in Region 13; and Davao Oriental, Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur and Davao City in Region 11.
Meanwhile, damage to agriculture was estimated at P110 million by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and National Irrigation Authority (NIA).
A total of 178,814 families or 720,997 persons were affected by the two quakes.
Majority of the displaced individuals have already returned to their homes but nine days before Christmas Day, there were 56 families or 280 persons still staying inside an evacuation center in Brgy. Mt. Diwata, Monkayo, Davao de Oro.
The death toll remained at three: two in Region 13 and one in Region 11; while 86 others were injured. There have been no reported missing individuals now.
The NDRRMC has provided family food packs, water, and other relief assistance to the victims of the earthquakes which now amounted to P84 million.
Affected residents were reminded to stay vigilant as a total of 8,235 aftershocks were already recorded by the authorities.
It can be recalled that a magnitude 7.4 earthquake shook Surigao del Sur and a large portion of Mindanao on Dec. 2. The earthquake has an epicenter located 29 kilometers northeast of Hinatuan town and has an estimated depth of 26 kilometers.
The earthquake was associated with the subduction along the Philippine Trench. A tsunami warning was issued by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) for the coastal areas of Surigao del Sur and Davao Oriental.
On Dec. 4, another earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 rocked Surigao del Sur with its epicenter located 67 kilometers northeast of Cagwait town.