TACLOBAN CITY – A 5.8-magnitude earthquake that struck San Francisco, Southern Leyte, on January 23 has affected 452 families or 1,726 individuals, according to a progress report from the municipal disaster risk reduction and management office (MDRRMO).
Of the town’s 22 barangays, only Tinaan, Ubos, and Central were spared from damage in what is considered the strongest earthquake to hit the province in two decades.
Fifteen families remain in evacuation centers, with 10 from Barangay Malico, four from Tuno, and one from Sta. Paz Norte. Some are housed in a gym in Barangay Marayag, while others are staying with relatives after their homes completely collapsed.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) attributed the quake to the movement of a local fault line.
A total of 15 houses were completely destroyed, while 437 sustained partial damage, with collapsed walls and ceilings.
The hardest-hit barangays include Malico with 10 totally damaged houses, 41 partially damaged; Tuno, 4 totally damaged houses, 92 partially damaged; Punta,4 totally damaged houses, 26 partially damaged; and Cuasi with 4 totally damaged houses, 77 partially damaged
Landslides were reported in five barangays: Malico, Tuno, Bongawisan, Gabi, and Sudmon.
In Bongawisan, where the town’s main water source is located, transmission lines were damaged, disrupting water supply across the municipality. A repair team was deployed on January 25 to restore services.
Roads and bridges in Sudmon, Habay, Sta. Paz Norte, and Gabi were also affected, while a flood control dike in Gabi sustained damage.
Several public buildings and schools suffered structural damage, including Sangguniang Bayan building, municipal gym, and municipal hall – visible cracks; Sudmon Elementary School – major retaining wall collapse, embankment damage; Bongawisan Elementary School – minor ceiling collapse; Napantao Elementary School – minor ceiling collapse; San Francisco Elementary School – minor cracks in two classrooms; and Marayag National High School – old classrooms at risk of ceiling collapse.
A church in Barangay Tuno and daycare centers in Malico and Cuasi also sustained damage.
The municipal government has declared a state of calamity to access its P7 million calamity fund, but the MDRRMO has yet to provide an official estimate of the total damage.
Meanwhile, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) continue to distribute food and non-food assistance, including shelter kits, food packs, and hygiene kits for displaced residents.
(JOEY A. GABIETA with LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
