DPWH: Rehab of infrastructure damaged in Cebu quake to begin this week

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Monday will start rehabilitating key infrastructure in northern Cebu that was damaged by a powerful magnitude 6.9 earthquake.

“‘Yung rehabilitation, ‘yung permanenteng pagsasaayos, sisimulan this week, itong linggong ito, bukas na bukas,” Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon told Super Radyo dzBB on Sunday.

(The rehabilitation will begin this week, starting tomorrow.)

Dizon said over P2.5 billion worth of damage to roads and bridges was recorded.

“Wala pa diyan ‘yung structures. ‘Yung mga eskuwelahan, ‘yung mga ospital, wala pa ‘yan. So, tataas pa ‘yan,” Dizon said.

(This excludes structures like schools and hospitals, so the numbers will increase.)

Based on the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s latest situational report, a total of 713 infrastructure in Central Visayas were damaged by the tremor that hit Bogo City, Cebu last week

This is apart from 18,154 houses in the region that were damaged. Of this figure, 3,507 were totally damaged.

The earthquake has left 73 fatalities and 559 injured so far.

The NDRRMC added that 128,464 families or 455,631 individuals were affected by the earthquake.

Relief ops

In a separate dzBB interview, Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson, said they are now focusing on relief operations after the search, rescue, and retrieval operations for the victims of the Cebu earthquake ended.

“All over, we have 1,600 search, rescue and retrieval teams para rito sa buong bansa na operations. Sabay sabay na ang tandem,” Padilla told dzBB in a separate interview.

(We have 1,600 search, rescue and retrieval teams all over the country. We are all working together.)

Padilla made the statement amid rumors of destabilization and an alleged coup try against President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr

“Ang nabanggit nga ng ating chief of staff diyan at even before this mga rally ngang naganap, he was already confident na he knew no one in uniform would heed any call para pagwatak-watakin ang Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas,” Padilla said.

(Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. said even before the Sept. 21 rally, he was already confident that he knew no one in uniform would heed any call to dismantle the AFP.)

"Malinaw sa bawat miyembro ng Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas ang ating mandato (our mandate is clear to every AFP member), that is to serve our people, protect the people, and secure the state. ‘Yan ang pinaka-focus natin ngayon," she added. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/JMA, GMA Integrated News