Sluggish Itbayat disaster response due to transport problems – Lorenzana

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Tuesday admitted that disaster-response operations in earthquake-hit Itbayat, Batanes was sluggish due to transport limitations to the island.

"The first challenge is to go there because it's about how many nautical miles... it's an island. The mode of transport there is by boat and mabagal 'yun. It took us a day before we could respond and bring in supplies to Basco and from there, bring the supplies into Itbayat," Lorenzana explained during a press briefing.

"Mabagal ang reaction namin because it's too far away and the nearest base that we can get choppers is from Tuguegarao, Cagayan. Medyo matagal 'yun. So 'yun ang challenge kaagad eh... how to get there."

Lorenzana also conceded that there had been no military assets in the area when the quake struck.

Likewise, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Executive Director Ricardo Jalad said that there was adequate emergency food supplies for victims of the earthquake.

However transporting these supplies to affected communities was the challenge.

"Logistics ang nakita kong lesson learned dito because Itbayat is isolated from the mainland of Luzon," Jalad said.

Nine locals were killed by a series of earthquakes that struck Itbayat, Batanes on Saturday. Out of the more or less 3,000 residents of Itbayat, more than 2,000 individuals were compelled to flee to the town's plaza.

The entire province of Batanes had been placed under a state of calamity. — DVM, GMA News