Coastal uplift after M7.8 earthquake in Mindanao no cause for alarm - PHIVOLCS

The coastal uplift, which caused seabeds to lift in parts of Sarangani and Davao Occidental, is nothing to be worried about following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao last June 8, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology PHIVOLCS said on Monday.

According to the report of GMA Regional TV’s Rgil Relator in “24 Oras”, PHIVOLCS said that coastal uplifts are common after earthquakes.

“Hindi dapat sila mag-panic dahil ang coastal uplift ay isang epekto ng lindol na nangyari na. ‘Yung pag-angat ng lupa ay again…naganap kasabay ng main earthquake at tinatawag na natin itong coseismic uplift. Nangyari ito nang biglang nag-release ng naipong stress ang Cotabato Trench,” said PHIVOLCS Director Teresito Bacolcol.

(They should not panic because the coastal uplift is an effect of the earthquake that has already happened. The rising of the land again... occurred simultaneously with the main earthquake and we call this a coseismic uplift. This happened when the Cotabato Trench suddenly released accumulated stress.)

PHIVOLCS added that such an event does not call for people to relocate.

Meanwhile, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited the provincial hospital of Sarangani earlier in the day to check on the patients staying in tents for the meantime. Following the damage the hospital building sustained following the earthquake, medical procedures are being done outdoors.

The President also visited the Malapatan National High School that was heavily damaged by the tremor.

Marcos also met with the local government officials in General Santos City during a situation briefing.

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development reportedly pledged to give P30,000 financial assistance to the owners of 11,000 totally damaged houses. Local government units were also given until today to submit the names of the target beneficiaries for the simultaneous payout on weekend.

The Office of the President also committed a P278 million budget for affected local governments by the tremor. Of this, Marcos said that Sarangani and General Santos City will receive P50 million each; South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat will get P30 million each; Davao Occidental and the Municipality of Glan, Sarangani will get P20 million each; and Zamboanga will get P15 million.

Meanwhile, 12 other affected local government units will receive assistance ranging from P3 million to P10 million.

The President also said that the government will try its best to reach isolated areas to distribute assistance via helicopter or by sea.

On the other hand, a woman was weeping amid the rainy weather as she waited for the recovery of the remains of her missing child and mother in Davao Occidental.

The family of reportedly missing charcoal makers in Tboli, South Cotabato are also not losing their hopes. But the search and rescue operations were halted due to geohazards in the affected areas. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA News