DPWH conducts damage assessment on Mindanao quake-hit areas

MANILA -- Disaster risk reduction management teams have been deployed to check the structural integrity of infrastructure in areas affected by the earthquake that jolted parts of Mindanao on Wednesday evening, the Department Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said on Thursday.

According to DPWH Secretary Mark Villar, the Regional and District Engineering Offices in Mindanao have been directed to immediately conduct rapid damage assessment and analysis to determine the extent of impacts and assess infrastructures such as roads, bridges, major establishments, and government-owned buildings, to ensure public safety.

“To determine the physical damaged to infrastructure, structural integrity inspection of bridges along national roads are now being conducted by the DPWH Task Force in the regions and districts,” he said in a statement.

Villar also offered the DPWH technical assistance in conducting assessment of private buildings due to their vulnerabilities to seismic-induced damages as well as the presence of structural deficiencies.

DPWH Cotabato 2nd District Engineer Elpidio Birog, meanwhile, ordered the pre-positioning of government equipment assets at Paco-Roxas-Arakan Valley Road, Poblacion Magpet-Binay-NowaBasak-Temporan-Badiangon-Greenfield Road, Kidapawan-Ilomavic Tourist Road, and Davao-Cotabato Road for emergency clearing operations.

Based on an initial report from DPWH Region 12, all national road networks in SOCCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City) are passable.

The DPWH Davao Del Sur, Davao Oriental 1st, and Compostela Valley District Engineering Offices have reported that national roads and bridges under their jurisdiction are also passable.

With this, Village encouraged the public to call the DPWH Hotline 165-02 which is open 24/7 for reports, inspection requests and rescue operations brought about by the recent earthquake.