Situation Overview

Second day after a 7-magnitude earthquake struck the northern part of the country, the entire province of Abra was declared under a state of calamity due to the massive destruction caused by the 7-magnitude earthquake. The provincial and 27 MLGUs were mobilized to respond to the immediate needs of the affected communities. According to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office of Abra, up to 80% of the province’s population was affected by the earthquake. Therefore, the province also requests immediate assistance from the national government and various concerned agencies for prompt disaster response. Since the initial quakes, the PHIVOLCS has recorded 828 aftershocks in the province that vary from 1.5 to 5.4 magnitude, thus delaying the conduct of further assessments. In anticipation of aftershocks, several residents camped out with their families in parks and sidewalks because they were too afraid to stay at home. These aftershocks may still be experienced in the coming weeks according to the agency.

Urban areas have been much harder hit, and the destruction of buildings, several homes, and other infrastructures paralyzed the operations of business establishments, leaving thousands of people in dire need of food, water, basic sanitation, and shelter. The streets of Vigan, known for its old Spanish colonial architecture, were cleared of debris, but shops, hotels, and businesses remained closed. Health is also a concern as more than 240,000 have lost access to clean water due to the earthquake. Several health facilities have also sustained damage. According to the Department of Health (DOH), a total of 53 health facilities were reportedly damaged, this includes eight hospitals, 28 rural health units, and 18 barangay health stations. The health sector is also carrying out assessments to gather data on injured patients and the degree of damage to health facilities. The DOH also stated that they have already deployed medical teams that will provide emergency medical services to the victims of the 7-magnitude earthquake.

Meanwhile, search-and-rescue efforts in the hardest-hit areas continue. To date, the Abra-Ilocos Norte national road is closed again due to falling debris caused by the aftershock. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has recorded PHP 125.8 million in initial costs of damage to roads and bridges in the Ilocos Region. In La Trinidad, Benguet the wake of the earthquake was compounded by the heavy rains, and this added fear to several residents as it might trigger a landslide. Meanwhile, assistance continues to pour in to the families affected by the earthquake.

Source: Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS-DOST), Ilocos Center for Research, Empowerment, and Development, Cordillera Disaster Response and Development Services, NDRRMC, Philippine News Agency, PDRRMO-Ilocos, DOH and Office of the Civil Defense.

Affected Populations

Across the three most affected towns, 1,583 homes have suffered varying degrees of damage while 48 have been completely destroyed. As of July 29, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management and Council (NDRRMC) have identified at least 1,248 displaced people in region 1. In their latest report 19, 486 families are affected, or 79,260 individuals.

53 health facilities were damaged across the most affected areas, while more than 57 school buildings have been damaged, including 10 government facilities that are partially destroyed according to the report released by the NDRRMC. Meanwhile, the OCD in the Ilocos Region reported that 79 schools are partially damaged in Pangasinan, 39 in Ilocos Norte, 86 in La Union, and eight in Ilocos Sur. The situation presents additional challenges for students and teachers as schools are set to reopen by September across the country.

Meanwhile, the Center for Health Development in the Cordillera Administrative Region had already reported 272 injuries, including 19 hospital admissions. The Office of the Civil (OCD) also reported that 64 people were hurt due to the earthquake. Of the said injuries, 57 were from the Cordillera Administrative Region and seven from Ilocos Region. To date, there are only 5 recorded casualties due to the earthquake.

Source: Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHILVOLCS-DOST), Ilocos Center for Research, Empowerment, and Development, Cordillera Disaster Response and Development Services, NDRRMC, Philippine News Agency, PDRRMO-Ilocos, DOH and Office of the Civil Defense.

Emergency Response Efforts

● CDRC is also monitoring the situation in the affected areas through the help of its regional centers on the ground and constantly updating situation reports. On July 28, CDRC along with its regional partner held a meeting to discuss how they can efficiently deliver assistance to the affected areas. CDRC also activated its Emergency Response Team (ERT) for possible deployment to give technical assistance to regional partners on the ground.

● CDRC coordination with different agencies and organizations such as Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe, iVolunteer, National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON USA), Federation of Philippine Progress, Global Giving, and the Philippine Multimodal Transport and Logistics Association, Inc. CDRC also started raising funds and donations for the affected communities.

● Regional centers ICRED and CORDISrDS have deployed their rapid assessment teams to conduct damages, needs and capacity assessment (DNCA). Assessment results are now being consolidated to develop an appeal to reach a wide range of affected communities through direct emergency relief assistance.

● CDRC and its Regional Centers such as ICRED and CORDISrDs are also mobilizing local resources to ensure that immediate needs of the survivors will be fulfilled.

Expressed Needs

Initial Assessments have indicated immediate needs include:

● Food supplies
● Clean water
● Hygiene kits
● Facemasks
● Primary medicines
● Sleeping materials
● Shelter kit

Recovery assistance and reconstruction efforts are also needed to repair damaged infrastructures
such as houses, schools, barangay halls, health centers, highways, and electricity poles. Continuous
efforts to provide support to the agricultural sector are also needed.

Coordination

Regional Centers
1. Ilocos Center for Research, Empowerment, and Development, Inc. (ICRED)
2. Cordillera Disaster Response and Development Services, Inc. (CorDis-RDS)

Partners
1. National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON USA)
2. Foundation for Philippine Progress, Inc.
3. Disaster Risk Reduction Network Philippines (DRRNetPhils)
4. iVolunteer Philippines
5. Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe

Contacts

1. Hanna Fiel, Deputy Executive Director, 0945-8355589, hanna.fiel.cdrc2019@gmail.com
2. Cora Jazmines, Local Partnerships Department, 0928-182-4969, lpd@cdrc-phil.com

Copy of Situation Report available for download: M7.0-EQ-in-Abra-Situation-Report-2-29-July-2022.pdf (120 downloads)