CabSecs meet in Davao Oriental for response, rehab efforts after earthquakes

Cabinet secretaries on Saturday convened in an inter-agency coordination meeting in Davao Oriental to harmonize relief and rehabilitation efforts following the doublet earthquakes that struck the province on Friday morning and evening.

In a Facebook post, the Provincial Government of Davao Oriental said Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon, Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara, and Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary Leo Tereso Magno met with Governor Nelson Dayanghirang at the Kanato Hall, Subangan Tourism Complex, City of Mati.

The inter-agency meeting was organized by the Davao Oriental provincial government to synchronize response and rehabilitation measures following doublet magnitude 7.4 and magnitude 6.8 earthquake that rocked Manay town. 

In a separate statement, Presidential Communications Secretary Dave Gomez said, “The President's paramount concern is the safety and well-being of our people in the earthquake struck areas.”

“On the instructions of the President, all concerned frontline agencies were tasked to work round the clock to provide rescue and relief operations,” Gomez said.

During the inter-agency meeting, Davao Oriental Provincial Administrator Jose Eriel Niembra, along with key provincial offices—including the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), Provincial Engineer’s Office (PEO) Provincial Health Office (PHO), Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), and other national line agencies—presented comprehensive updates on damages, assistance, and ongoing relief operations.

In his message, Dayanghirang expressed gratitude to the national government for its quick response and solidarity, emphasizing that “Davao Oriental may have been shaken, but its people remain steadfast and united.”

Gatchalian reaffirmed DSWD’s commitment to providing continued support and relief aid to the affected families, while Dizon assured immediate infrastructure rehabilitation and assessments through the DPWH. 

Meanwhile, Angara highlighted the importance of ensuring the safety of students and teachers, and Secretary Magno of MinDA emphasized long-term recovery and resilience efforts for Mindanao communities.

The meeting concluded with Dayanghirang outlining the “Ways Ahead” — including intensified coordination among agencies, capacity-building for responders, and fast-tracked rehabilitation of critical infrastructures.

At 9:43 a.m. on Friday, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake hit offshore Manay, Davao Oriental. Its epicenter was located at around 43 kilometers east of Manay.

On Friday evening, at 7:12 p.m., another earthquake with magnitude 6.8 struck off the shore of Manay, Davao Oriental, PHIVOLCS said.

PHIVOLCS explained that the second earthquake was not an aftershock but the latter half of a doublet — two closely-timed earthquakes happening nearby. —KG, GMA Integrated News