Glan, Sarangani residents ask for clean water, food after Mindanao earthquake

The town center of Glan, Sarangani is now accessible after the completion of road repairs by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck off the province’s coast on Monday, June 8.

According to Maki Pulido’s report in “24 Oras” on Thursday, five trucks of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) were now able to make it to the town center to deliver relief goods.

Although aid has arrived, residents of Barangay Tungo have taken to waiting by the side of the road to ask for help because they no longer have fuel for their motorcycles to get to the poblacion.

“We need water because our deep well has muddy water,” said Benicar Malasan.

Evangeline Ugong, on the other hand, has been trying to make her bottle of mineral water last for two days already.

“I have to make the most out of it as long as my mouth is dampened,” she said.

Glan Mayor James Victor Yap Sr. said they have begun distributing relief goods to every barangays.

“Our barangay captains already came. So we have started already distributing relief goods to the barangays,” he said.

Meanwhile, clearing operations are being conducted in a portion of the highway after a landslide occurred, making eight barangays isolated.

In order to reach the eight barangays, one must cross the rocky shore. Others had to carry their motorcycles just to get across.

Margie Morales, principal of Leonard Young Sr. National High School in Barangay Big Margus, has no choice but to walk along the rocky shore to check on the school.

“I have to check the situation of the school as the DepEd is asking for an assessment,” she said.

The Leonard Young Sr. National High School is home to over 1,000 students. But the earthquake caused four school buildings to partially sink.

Teachers have asked for an inspection by engineers to check if they are still safe for students.

In Barangay Small Margus, over 200 homes collapsed during the earthquake. Some had to set up tarpaulins in order to have something over their heads.

The residents also lost their livelihoods after a landslide damaged their crops.

For now, they have relied on the spirit of bayanihan while waiting for help to come.

But Yap said one lane in the highway is now passable, hence, relief goods can now be delivered to the barangay. — Vince Angelo Ferreras/JMA, GMA News