Donation drives launched for victims of powerful Abra quake

Several donation drives have been launched to help victims of the magnitude 7 earthquake that hit Abra and was felt in Metro Manila and other provinces on Wednesday.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Caritas Philippines, the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), announced its fundraising campaign for the dioceses and communities affected by the powerful earthquake.

Caritas Philippines said the donations may be sent through the bank and GCash accounts stated on its Facebook post.

The Maritime Security and Law Enforcement Command of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is also appealing for donations.

The PCG said that donors may call or message at 0927 693 7763 or on the Facebook page at www.fb.com/PCGmarslec.

Angat Abra, a non-government organization, said it launched a donation drive "to extend our help to our dear Abreñios who are in dire need of food, water, and sanitary kits."

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), the quake (earlier reported as magnitude 7.3) occurred at 8:43 a.m on Wednesday and was located three kilometers northwest of Tayum, Abra.

It had a depth of 17 kilometers.

The earthquake left at least four people dead and 131 others injured, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) in its Thursday morning report.

A total of 12,945 individuals or 3,456 families in 149 barangays in Cordillera, meanwhile, were affected by the earthquake, the report said.

It added that 541 families are staying inside 21 evacuation centers, while 567 individuals or 128 families are staying outside evacuation centers. —VBL, GMA News