Palace urges public to ‘remain calm but vigilant’ after 6.1-quake

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang urged the public on Monday “to remain calm but vigilant” after a powerful quake hit parts of Luzon, toppling buildings and causing power outages.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo also called on the public to stop sharing disinformation that causes undue alarm.

“We ask the public to remain calm but vigilant, and we urge them to refrain from spreading disinformation in social media that may cause undue alarm, panic, and stress to many people,”
Panelo said in a statement.

“We call upon our citizen’s innate Bayanihan spirit and request their cooperation, patience, and understanding in this time of need,” he added.

He assured Filipinos that the government, through the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, “is closely monitoring the situation.”

“We assure our people that concerned agencies of the government are already responding and assisting those in troubled conditions and shall continue to do so for as long as necessary,” he said.

Panelo said “first responders from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Office of Civil Defense, Philippine National Police, and affected Local Government Units, as well as other related agencies, are cooperating and coordinating on the ground to look after the needs of our citizens.”

The Departments of Transportation and Energy, he added, “are also on full alert to respectively address issues on the disruption of transportation services and power supply interruptions.” /ee

READ: Phivolcs: At least 41 aftershocks recorded after quake; more expected