DAVAO CITY – Earthquake-affected towns in the provinces of Sarangani and Davao Occidental are appealing for more aid such as food, water, medicine, and tents as some areas are still isolated due to damaged roads and bridges.

Two days since the earthquake struck on June 8, many of these affected towns and villages are still without electricity and have intermittent telecommunication signals and scarce water supply.

Many of the affected residents are spending the night in open spaces as damaged houses are still unsafe for occupancy.

In the coastal town of Glan in Sarangani, the delivery of relief aid is still through air or sea as the national highway linking the town to neighboring town of Malapatan was destroyed by the powerful tremor.

Angel Faith Dugaduga, a staff of the Glan Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), told Manila Bulletin over the phone that initial data showed that at least 110,000 individuals have been affected by the earthquake. Most of those affected were from 21 out of 31 barangays, Dugaduga added.

The MDRRMO, she said, received reports of 21 fatalities as of 10 a.m. June 10 and are still verifying reports of missing and injured.

While the provincial government and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region-12 have sent initial relief aid, she appealed for more help, especially water, food, and tents.

“The tents, like any time of tent or tarpaulins, are also needed here because many of the residents are still spending a night in open spaces like our town plaza. It’s because many of the houses are damaged by the earthquake,” she said.

Dugaduga disclosed that many of the buildings in the town proper have collapsed or sustained major damages due to the powerful earthquake and succeeding aftershocks.

According to a report from the Sarangani Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), 496 houses in Glan were totally damaged and 866 others were partially damaged as of 9 p.m. June 9.

Office of Civil Defense Region-12 chief Rodrigo Sosmeña said that Glan is the most affected town in Sarangani in terms of fatalities and damage to infrastructure.

Sosmeña said that the OCD has prioritized Glan for assistance and assessments and has dispatched a Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA) team.

On Tuesday, an eight-member team of the Collapsed Structure Search and Rescue (CSSR) Team from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Search and Rescue Force Region 12 was deployed in Glan to check reports of trapped individuals.

In the neighboring town of Malapatan, the local government is appealing for more relief aid such as water containers, sleeping kits, hygiene kits, portable charging stations, tents and fuel.

The local government of Malapatan reported that 10 people have died, two are still missing, and 64 others sustained minor injuries. Over 600 houses were also damaged and at least 1,900 were partially damaged.

In the adjacent town of Alabel, youth organizations have launched a donation drive to help the affected families in the locality.

“We warmly welcome cash donations, food packs, clean clothing, hygiene kits, bottled water, and other essential items. Every contribution, no matter how small, can make a meaningful difference in someone’s life,” Sagip Kabatan group posted on its Facebook page.

The local governments of Alabel, Glan, and Malapatan have already declared a state of calamity.

In Jose Abad Santos (JAS) town in Davao Occidental, the local government is not just appealing for food and water but also digging tools for search and rescue operations in landslide-hit villages. The local government said they need shovels, pickaxes, digging bars, and other rescue equipment.

JAS Mayor Jason John Joyce said that most of the 26 barangays in the municipality are still not accessible due to landslides.

Joyce said that seven individuals were confirmed dead and 12 others are missing and 25 injured. He added that most of the fatalities were due to landslides and collapsed structures.

JAS, which shares its boundary with Glan, is one of the most affected towns in Davao region by the earthquake.

The mayor is also appealing for more tents for temporary shelters, especially for senior citizens, women, and children.

In Sarangani Island, also part of Davao Occidental, the local government is seeking further assistance for affected residents after most of its barangays sustained damages following the earthquake.

The local government is appealing for food, tents, water, medicine and hygiene kits. Affected residents are appealing through social media for food, medicine, and construction materials to rebuild their damaged houses.

The towns of Glan, JAS, and Sarangani are severely affected due to their proximity to the offshore epicenter of the earthquake 33 kilometers west of Maasim.