BUTUAN CITY — The Eastern Mindanao Command announced that it is on red alert following the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that hit Caraga Region and the deadly explosion in Marawi City.

The EastMinCom said that intensified checkpoint operations are being conducted in its areas of responsibility, including bus boarding operations, foot and water patrols, and enhanced troop visibility in crowded areas.

In Davao City, the command said heightened security operations are being conducted in coordination with the Davao City Police Office.

Intensified intelligence monitoring and security operations are also in place through a systematized and coordinated security scheme among cognizant units, especially in places of convergence, to ensure public safety during the holiday season.

Over at the Caraga Region, particularly in Surigao del Sur, EastMinCom said it has already deployed a total of 30 Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response teams to assist the local government units affected by the recent strong earthquake.

In other developments, the government of Japan — which recently condemned the MSU bombing — has expressed anew its commitment to strengthening, in ways commensurate to the substantive progress of the peace process, its support toward facilitating cooperation such as vocational training for livelihood improvement and industrial development.

In a statement, the Japanese government stressed that it has been actively contributing to the advancement of the peace process and to the reconstruction and development of the Mindanao region through its various efforts.