North Cotabato governor, other mayors appeal for help
The governor of quake-hit North Cotabato province and mayors of affected areas on Thursday pleaded for help.
Following the 6.5 quake which rocked portions of southern Mindanao, authorities sought for help especially in assessing structural damages caused by three tremors that hit the areas in two weeks.
"This is a very strong earthquake," North Cotabato Governor Emmylou Talino-Mendoza told ANC.
Talino-Mendoza said the collapsed 5-story Eva Hotel in Kidapawan had cracks during the 6.3 quake in October 17 and 6.6 quake last Tuesday. She added that several covered courts and the national highway were damaged.
"Unfortunately, today, along the national highway somewhere in Makilala, you can see the cracking of the pavement. I believe it's more than 10 inches or 12 inches," she said.
"We're looking for more infrastructure going down this time. With the third quake some of the buildings really went down," she added.
She said there are not enough structural engineers to assess damage of their structures.
"We need evaluation of structural engineers. We are running out out of structural engineers. We ask more engineers to look more into the integrity of our buildings," she said.
Aside for infrastructure, she said the affected areas are also experiencing issues in water supply.
Kidapawan Mayor Joseph Evangelista called for help after the city was heavily struck.
"This is a first time for Kidapawan. We are at a loss on how to do it so we need experts on how to do it," Evangelista said in a separate interview over ANC.
Mayor Reuel Limbungan of Tulunan, where the epicenter of the quake was recorded, said "90 percent" of buildings already collapsed after the first two earthquakes. He added that they are anticipating more damage from Thursday's quake.
"You won't see anyone inside their houses. Everyone is in the streets," said the Tulunan mayor in an interview with dzMM. Cristina Eloisa Baclig/DMS
