By Staff Reporter
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines — More than 18,000 people remain in evacuation centers and temporary shelters more than two months after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Sarangani province, authorities said.
The Office of Civil Defense in Soccsksargen said Friday that many residents have yet to return home because their houses were completely destroyed or remain unsafe due to continuing aftershocks. Others are staying with relatives after their homes were damaged.
OCD-12 Regional Director Rodrigo Sosmeña said the region is now moving from the early recovery phase toward rehabilitation and long-term recovery following the June 8 offshore earthquake.
Despite progress in the response, thousands of displaced residents in Sarangani continue to face difficulties finding safe and permanent accommodation.
To assess the situation, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council deployed 120 technical personnel from government agencies and private organizations to conduct a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment across affected areas in Soccsksargen.
The teams are gathering verified information on damage, economic losses and recovery needs to help the government determine the resources required for rehabilitation.
During inspections on Aug. 11, assessment teams documented collapsed walls, shattered windows, damaged roofs and houses left leaning in several communities in Tboli, South Cotabato, one of the areas badly affected by the earthquake.
The teams also inspected schools, roads and agricultural areas, recording damage to cornfields and coconut trees that provide important livelihoods for local communities, including Indigenous Peoples.
In Maasim, Sarangani, the municipality closest to the earthquake’s epicenter, teams assessed damage to the Maasim Public Market and Maasim Water District facilities.
Using GPS-enabled cameras, the teams also documented damage to farmland, toppled coconut trees and large cracks in the soil in Barangay Bales.
Sosmeña said the assessment must go beyond damaged buildings and infrastructure because the earthquake has also disrupted livelihoods and affected entire communities.
The findings will be submitted to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to support efforts to secure resources for rehabilitation and recovery.
