CEBU CITY – The magnitude-6.9 earthquake that struck northern Cebu province on Tuesday night, Sept. 30, was strongly felt across Bohol province.
Gov. Aris Aumentado convened an emergency meeting on Wednesday morning, Oct. 1, with disaster response agencies, law enforcement, health officials, and infrastructure offices to assess the impact on the province.
Initial reports confirmed that Bohol sustained only minor damage, with minimal cracks observed in public school buildings, bridges, and some government facilities.
Representatives from the three District Engineering Offices (DEOs) of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) disclosed that all major roads in the province remain passable, though restrictions have been imposed in several key structures.
The Causeway Bridge is open only to light vehicles, while the Junction Bridge has closed its steel bridge side. The concrete bridge side remains operational but limits heavy trucks to one-at-a-time passage, under the supervision of the DPWH.
“We are thankful that based on our assessment, there were only minor damages,” Aumentado told reporters in an interview after the meeting.
Aumentado announced that Bohol will send assistance to Cebu.
In her talk with Cebu Gov. Pam Baricuatro, Aumentado said that the affected areas in Cebu need more medical teams to respond to those who were injured during the earthquake.
Bohol sent a 16-person medical team composed of doctors and nurses from the provincial government (six persons), the Department of Health (six persons), and the Bohol Provincial Police Office (four persons). Two ambulances and one SRR vehicle were also deployed.
The team departed for Cebu at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Aumentado also approved a council resolution to extend a P5-million financial assistance to the provincial government of Cebu. The proposal, though, will still need approval from the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.