The entire province of Surigao del Sur has been placed under a state of calamity due to the effects of the series of strong earthquakes that rocked the area since December 2, 2023.

Members of the Provincial Board has passed a resolution to place the province under a state of calamity due to the damage caused by the magnitude 7.4 quake and several aftershocks.

According to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), two people died and 17 were injured while 237 barangays and more than 116,000 families were affected.

The PDRRMO also said damage to infrastructure is pegged at over P100 million.

Power and water supply are now back to normal in Hinatuan town, the epicenter of the earthquake. However, there are few barangays that do not have water yet because the Hinatuan Water District is still repairing damaged pipelines.

In Sta. Maria Integrated School, only two out of 22 classrooms have remained operational because of the damage.

“Nag-meeting kami with the faculty members kung ano ang contingency plans namin. So, ni-come out na we are going to have an MDL muna po, modular distance learning,” said Sta. Maria Integrated School Principal Anita Zamora.