Gomez says quake-hit Ormoc City won't be placed under state of calamity

Ormoc City will not be placed under a state of calamity despite the effects of the magnitude-6.5 earthquake that jolted Leyte on Thursday afternoon.

Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez told radio dzBB on Saturday that they found no reason to declare a state of calamity based on the city officials' meeting with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Gomez said that all 179 residents who sustained minor injuries during the quake had been treated and only 12 out of the city's 120 barangays were affected by the quake.

The city had one confirmed fatality from the quake.

He added that donations have been continuously pouring in and their only problem was the city's power supply.

"Ang mabigat lang dito ay brownout ang lahat ng Ormoc, at part ng Leyte walang kuryente," Gomez said.

"As of now, sufficient yung pangangailangan namin," he added.

Gomez said the quake was a "wake up call" to the local government.

"Kaya nga wake up call itong lindol na ito, kung saan talaga yung mga importante lugar, kung ano pa yung mga bagay na kailangan namin na palakasin when it comes to emergency. So 'yun pero importante nabigyan na ng shelter kits at patuloy namin silang pinapadalhan ng pagkain tsaka ng tubig," he said.

The quake's death toll wa still at two as of Saturday. The other fatality was reported in Kananga town, which had been placed under a state of calamity.

The quake struck eight kilometers southwest of Jaro town at a depth of two kilometers beneath the island. It was felt at Intensity 5 in Tacloban City and Palo town and in Cebu City.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said that as of 1 p.m. of July 7, its monitoring network has recorded 297 aftershocks. —Marlly Rome C. Bondoc/ALG, GMA News