Makilala, Cotabato exec pleads for aid after new Mindanao quake

The municipal administrator of Makilala, Cotabato appealed for aid after the town was badly hit by the 6.5-magnitude temblor that struck Mindanao anew on Thursday morning.

Interviewed by Susan Enriquez on GMA News TV’s “QRT,” Sheryl Orbita said the situation in Makilala is currently “unstable.”

“Ang sitwasyon po ng Makilala ay talagang hindi po stable sa ngayon kasi wala po kaming kuryente, wala po kaming tubig, ang daming apektado. Whole Makilala na po ito,” she said.

“Ito na po ang pinakagrabe kasi ‘yung mga partially damaged, [naging] totally damaged na po. At saka halos lahat wala na pong bahay,” Orbita added.

Prior to the Thursday quake, Cotabato was also struck by a 6.6-magnitude tremor on Tuesday and a magnitude 6.3 temblor on October 16.

Last October 17, the Makilala municipal council declared a state of calamity in the town. 

According to Orbita, the majority of the buildings weakened by the two previous earthquakes finally caved in on Thursday.

One of these is the barangay hall in Barangay Batasan, which caved in and killed the village captain, Cesar Bangot.

In a tearful message, the Makilala executive appealed for aid from the national government.

“Kami po ay nananwagan kung ano po ang maitutulong niyo sa amin, kasi po kawawa talaga ang Makilala. Ang dami pong mga tao sa barangay na na-forced evacuation sila. Hindi po namin kaya,” Orbita said.

She said Makilala residents need food and water as well as more temporary shelters for those who were displaced after the quake. — Julia Mari Ornedo/BM, GMA News