National roads in Davao Region passable after twin earthquakes —DPWH

All national roads in the Davao Region remain passable despite the doublet earthquake on Friday, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said Saturday.

In a news release, the DPWH said Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Education Secretary Sonny Angara, and Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Chairperson Leo Magno conducted an inspection of affected areas following the twin earthquakes that rocked Manay town in Davao Oriental.

The DPWH said its initial assessment found that all national roads in the Davao Region are still passable for the motoring public.

However, local roads sustained damage due to landslides after the earthquakes.

The DPWH said it handed over some of its response assets to the Davao Oriental provincial government to fast-track its clearing operations of affected local roads.

“Whether it's a state of calamity or not, we're already here. We're going to give everything that we can provide, especially immediate relief to the province and the municipalities that were affected. That's the number one priority of the President,” said Dizon.

The DPWH, moreover, said it will exert all efforts to build medical tents and evacuation sites as well as begin the assessment of other public structures such as schools and hospitals in Davao Oriental.

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake rocked Manay, Davao Oriental, on Friday morning, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said.

On Friday evening, at 7:12 p.m., an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 struck off the shore of Manay.

PHIVOLCS said the second earthquake was not an aftershock but the latter half of a doublet—two closely timed earthquakes happening nearby. 

Almost 800 aftershocks were recorded as of 7 a.m. Saturday, PHIVOLCS said.

The town of Manay is now in a state of calamity. —VBL, GMA Integrated News