The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Monday reported 12 deaths following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao earlier in the day.
“Meron tayong reported na 12 deaths,” said Rodrigo O. Sosmeña, OCD Region 12 director.
According to Sosmeña, three fatalities were recorded in Glan, Sarangani; seven in General Santos City; and two in the municipality of Tupi, South Cotabato.
He added that at least 129 people were reported injured, while rescue and accounting operations remain ongoing.
“Nasa mga 129, ongoing pa rin yung rescue mission, ongoing pa rin yung pag-a-account,” he said.
Authorities have yet to complete the assessment of damage caused by the earthquake.
“Wala pa tayong complete picture sa damage, but maraming structures ang nag-crack. Ongoing pa rin yung assessment kung paano natin ika-categorize iyon, whether partially damaged o totally damaged,” Sosmeña explained.
He said major establishments, roads and bridges were also affected by the quake.
“Meron ding mga roads and bridges na hindi passable. Actually, tatlo ang hindi passable na bridges dito sa Sarangani,” he said.
The OCD official noted that virtually the entire Region 12 population was affected by the disaster, although the number of displaced families currently stands at 15,077, equivalent to around 70,000 individuals.
“Practically the whole of Region 12 population ay affected talaga. Ang reported na displaced families ngayon ay 15,077 families. It's about 70,000 people,” Sosmeña said.
Search and rescue operations remain underway, particularly in General Santos City, with responders from nearby local government units and national agencies augmenting local efforts.
“Meron tayong mga ongoing rescue operations sa ngayon, lalo na dito sa General Santos City, at may mga responding units naman galing sa mga malalapit na LGUs at agencies,” he added.
Despite the scale of the disaster, Sosmeña expressed confidence that authorities can manage the situation through coordinated efforts among national and local government agencies.
Asked about the possibility of declaring a state of calamity, he said the decision rests with higher authorities.
