Residents in Batangas town traumatized, fear sleeping in own homes

Traumatized residents of Mabini, Batangas spent the night on the streets fearing their houses would collapse following two major aftershocks on Saturday.

"Sa buong magdamag, lahat ng tao dito sa aming bayan ay nasa labas ng kanilang mga bahay at ang iba naman ay nagse-settle down sa Mabini plaza, sa part ng simbahan," Mabini town Mayor Noel Luistro said in a radio dzBB interview.

Luistro said that seven tremors were felt in the town on Saturday night, following the four quakes that struck the province in the afternoon.

He said the local government will deploy local social workers to attend to those traumatized by the quake.

"Ang trauma dito siguro 99.9 percent ng mga bata at matatanda... sa loob ng 100 taon, ngayon lang nakaranas ng ganitong klaseng earthquake ang aming bayan," the town mayor said.

Two of the four quakes measured at magnitudes 6.0 and 5.6, which struck two minutes apart. The two quakes were felt at Intensity 7 in Mabini.

Based on the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology's (PHIVOLCS) Earthquake Intensity Scale, Intensity 7 is "destructive."

"Most people are frightened and run outdoors. People find it difficult to stand in upper floors. Heavy objects and furniture overturn or topple. Big church bells may ring. Old or poorly-built structures suffer considerably damage. Some well-built structures are slightly damaged. Some cracks may appear on dikes, fish ponds, road surface, or concrete hollow block walls. Limited liquefaction, lateral spreading and landslides are observed. Trees are shaken strongly," it said.

Erlinton Olevere, PHIVOLCS' science and research specialist, told dzBB in a separate dzBB interview that the four quakes on Saturday afternoon were aftershocks of the magnitude-5.5 quake last Tuesday night.

He said a total of 129 aftershocks of last Tuesday's quake have been recorded as of Sunday morning.

Luistro pleaded for help from the national government as he was expecting the town's residents to spend the succeedings nights outside their homes.

"Ang mga tao natatakot na pong tumuloy sa gabi sa kanilang bahay so ang aking panawagan sa ating national agencies ay mahalaga po sa amin ang mga tent at mahalaga sa amin ang mga pagkain lalo na ho mamayang gabi kung tuloy-tuloy ang aftershock," he said.

He said the local government will not be able to feed and provide other basic needs of at least 3,000 residents if the aftershocks would continue in the next three days.

"Hindi po kaya magpakain ng local government units ng more or less 3,000 katao from umaga tanghali hapon kung tuluy-tuloy ang ating aftershocks," he said.

State of calamity

Luistro said aside from several houses, the two major aftershocks on Saturday afternoon damaged several barangay halls, school buildings, and the Mabini General Hospital, which has been abandoned by patients.

"Sa kasalukuyan wala na tao sa hospital. Dahil sa takot ng mga pasyente ay nagsiuwian na sa kanilang mga bahay kahit 'di pa sila dapat lumabas ay pinilit nilang lumabas dahil sa kasi yung ospital ay partially damaged din. Wala na tao sa ospital ngayon, talagang zero na," he said.

Meanwhile, Luistro said all major roads in the municipality remained passable. He said vehicles have been barred from using minor roads in landslide-prone barangays.

The town mayor said the local government may declare a state of calamity.

"Kailangan po mag-declare ang aming bayan ng state of calamity para yung aming immediate concern, lalo na po yung construction material, napakarami pong bahay ang nagiba, napakarami pong bahay ang mga nagkaron ng cracks at totally damaged," Luistro said.

Luistro said the town's council will convene anytime Sunday for the state of calamity declaration. —Joseph Tristan Roxas/ALG, GMA News