(UPDATE) THE death toll from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Mindanao on June 8 has climbed to 65, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Monday.
The number of missing also rose to 36 and the injured to 1,400.
Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Deputy Administrator for Administration, said the deaths were mainly due to earthquake-induced landslides and fallen debris.
Most of the missing were from Jose Abad Santos in Davao Occidental and attributed to landslides.
Search and rescue operations continue, but Alejandro ruled out finding any more survivors still trapped under the rubble.
The earthquake has so far affected 161,000 families or 624,000 individuals from 434 barangay, and 3,200 families remain in 37 evacuation centers.
Around 14 local government units have declared a state of calamity, with over 728 public and private infrastructures incurring damage estimated at P1.3 billion.
Alejandro said the OCD is working closely with the Department of Education to speed up the repair of classrooms and the establishment of temporary learning facilities.
On Monday, the General Santos International Airport (GSIA) was reopened to commercial flights after being closed for six days for earthquake damage assessment and repair.
The airport had stayed open for emergency, military, and humanitarian relief flights, while authorities conducted repair work on the control tower and the passenger terminal.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) completed a comprehensive safety assessment and confirmed that the facility is structurally sound.
The first commercial flight to land at the reopened airport was Cebu Pacific 5J997 from Manila.
On Monday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. inspected earthquake-damaged infrastructure in Sarangani and General Santos City.
The president’s first stop was Glan, the hardest hit town in Sarangani.
The devastation was especially visible at the Sarangani Provincial Hospital in Alabel, where patients have been temporarily housed in tents set up in the parking area.
Hospital staff reported that 23 newborn babies were staying in the temporary shelters, while 25 patients were delivered on June 13 alone despite the difficult conditions.
Marcos also inspected the damaged Sapu Masla Bridge in Malapatan.
At Malapatan National High School, school officials showed the President a severely damaged four-story building whose roof also completely collapsed during the earthquake.
From Sarangani, Marcos proceeded to General Santos City where he led the distribution of relief goods and financial assistance.
Food packs and P5,000 cash aid were distributed to 4,000 workers who lost their jobs.
Marcos also inspected damaged schools.
It was the second time Marcos went to areas affected by last week’s 7.8 magnitude temblor.
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, who accompanied the president, reported significant progress in restoring roads, bridges, hospitals, and other critical facilities.
Dizon said most national road sections and bridges that were temporarily closed due to earthquake damage have been reopened.
He said DPWH teams have been conducting assessments and emergency repairs on critical public facilities, including hospitals, health centers, and schools.
The agency also helped clear debris from damaged private establishments that blocked major roads and hampered relief and recovery efforts.
DPWH delivered electric fans and extension cords and loaned portable toilets to the Glan Medicare Community Hospital in Sarangani.
Among the infrastructure restored to full service are the Sapu Masla Bridge in Glan, Sarangani; Bucana Bridge in Davao City; Lampari Bridge in South Cotabato; and Barangay Margus Road in Glan after landslide debris was cleared.
Ten of the 15 damaged sections on the Malita-Jose Abad Santos Road have been reopened to traffic.
Repair work continues on several heavily damaged structures, including the Butulan Bridge in Davao Occidental, the Glan–Taluyan Road in Sarangani, and the Buayan and Aquino bridges.
Authorities also reported that Bolton Bridge 1 in Davao City and portions of the Davao–Sarangani Coastal Road remain passable to light vehicles.
Emergency repair work is ongoing at the Sarangani Provincial Hospital and Dr. Jorge Royeca City Hospital in General Santos City.
