State of calamity in Cebu province: 11 dead; churches, buildings suffer heavy damage

Cebuanos woke up yesterday to a powerful earthquake at 8:12 a.m. whose rumbles continued off and on till evening.

The magnitude 7.2 quake caused the bell tower of the century-old Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño to collapse and destroyed several heritage coral stone churches in Cebu and Bohol, as well as damaged commercial buildings and residences.

At least 11 people were killed in Cebu, including four people crushed by concrete slabs when the roof of the Pasil Fishport of Cebu City caved in.

A stampede caused the death of a 4-year-old girl in Pinamungahan town in south Cebu where government financial aid for poor families was being distributed.

Unused to tremors this strong or continuous, terrified Cebu residents ran out of buildings each time a jolt would cause structures to shake.

The experience was new for Cebuanos of two generations.

Sebastian Canoy, 81, of Liloan town, said he couldn’t remember a similar earthquake.

“Karon pa ko kasuway ani nga hangtud nalang gabii sige gihapon ang aftershocks. Karon kay ka grabe ba oi. Murag di ko ganahan matug.”

(It’s only now that I’ve experienced an earthquake like this whose aftershocks last until the night. This time it’s real bad. Now, I’m afraid to sleep.)

The death toll could have been higher had it not been a quiet holiday.

The quake’s epicenter was located two kilometers southeast of Carmen town in Bohol province, where many buildings collapsed, roads cracked up and bridges fell.

Six hours after the first tremor, the Cebu Provincial Board convened to declare a state of calamity in order to tap a P70 million emergency fund.

Gov. Hilario Davide III cancelled public school classes in the province to give engineers time to check the stability of the buildings.

“We don’t want to compromise the safety of our children,” he said even as he advised people “not to get too close to buildings”.

President Aquino said he would fly to Cebu and Bohol today to assess the impact.

Eight “earthquake specialists” from the Metro Manila Development Authority arrived in Cebu yesterday to help assess the damage.

CITY HALL WATCH

Cebu city government employees have to report for work today.

Engr. Ariel dela Cruz, the city’s structural consultant, declared the City Hall executive and legislative buildings fit for occupancy.

Mayor Michael Rama asked contractors to lend their heavy equipment, and appealed for civil engineers to volunteer in inspecting buildings and offices.

He set up a 24-hour command center at the City Hall.

Cracks were found on the walls of Fort San Pedro and the Customs building.

City Engineers declared the Oprra Elementary School and Don Vicente Rama High School as unfit for occupancy.

Two towers of the Iglesia ni Cristo church on Mango Avenue collapsed and big cracks appeared on its walls.

Landslides were reported in mountain barangays of Buhisan, barangay Cambinocot and Agsungot.

About 3,000 residents in coastal barangays of Pasil, Sawang Calero, Duljo and San Nicolas left their shanties for nearby barangay gyms and the San Nicolas church.

Ester Concha, head of the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS).

The Cebu City Medical Center evacuated 250 patients to tents in the parking lot and the Pahina Central gym after cracks appeared on the hospital walls. Eight critical patients were transferred to private hospitals.

At least 53 individuals were treated in the CCMC for cuts and bruises, then sent home.

The voyages of vessels in Cebu port were suspended by Cebu Coastguard commander Weniel Azcuna to allow the Cebu Ports Authority (CPA) to check passenger terminals. The terminal in pier 4 was ordered closed because of huge cracks on the wall. When sea operations resumed at 1p.m. screening for pier 4 passengers was transfered to terminal 2.

But sea trips to Tagbilaran City in Bohol province remain suspended because the terminal in Tagbilaran collapsed. Passengers were advised to take the Tubigon and Getafe routes.

MANDAUE CITY

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes ordered the closure of the bridge park under the Marcelo Fernan Bridge after some concrete debris fell.

He formed a task force headed by Engr. Dario Mago to inspect buildings in the city, including the public market. There was some damage in the newly renovated Mandaue City session hall.

Both the Fernan and Mandaue-Mactan Bridges are still passable. There were no cracks found in the bridge, said structural engineer Danny Pasicaran.

Cortes declared a state of calamity in a meeting which was interrupted by an aftershock. Officials left the building and continued the meeting at an open space beside City hall.

Classes were suspended for the entire week.

The six-storey Cebu Doctors University building in Mandaue sustained damage as chunks of its exterior wall cladding and fiber board baffles fell and hit a coaster van and jeepney parked below. The vehicles were owned by the university.

“There was no damage inside the building. It’s still a blessing that today is a holiday and our semestral break also started today, said Dominica Diuja, head of the public relations office. He said the building erected seven years ago was designed to withstand earthquakes. /Doris Bongcac, Peter Romanillos, Jucell Cuyos, Jeanette Malinao