Rescue operations terminated

CEBU, Philippines — It is now a recovery more than a rescue operation in Naga City.

Seven days since the massive landslides last week, it would now be difficult to detect signs of life, said Baltazar Tribunalo, Jr., ground commander and head of the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office.

Naga Mayor Kristine Chiong agreed with the recommendation to shift the operational status from "Search, Rescue and Retrieval" to "Search, Recovery and Retrieval."

In recommending the shift, authorities considered health and safety concerns, especially that cadaver underground have been emitting foul smell.

Yesterday, at least 64 are recorded dead, based on data from the Emergency Operation Center at the Naga City Hall.

Twenty six individuals are still unaccounted for.

The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) will send additional medico-legal teams to assist in the identification of fatalities.

“We will be providing additional personnel to assist the victims.

As to the medico-legal, we will be providing our assistance, kasi pagka-disaster victim identification, ang lead ay NBI, while ang Crime Laboratory will assist,” said PRO-7 Director Debold Sinas.

Currently, there are 11 gymnasium, covered courts, and schools used as temporarily shelter for 1,716 families or 7,642 individuals.

Health

A one-year-old child survivor landed in the hospital after suffering from dehydration due to diarrhea, the Department of Health - 7 said yesterday.

Dr. Shelbay Blanco of DOH’s Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit said it was on September 25 that health personnel recommended that the child be brought to the hospital. At that time, the child was already showing symptoms of "moderate" dehydration.

"As to the current condition of the child, we have no feedback yet so far but we (DOH personnel) made sure to refer the child to a medical facility for rehydration," he told The Freeman yesterday.

Aside from the child, 36 other survivors also tested positive of food and water borne disease.

Blanco said patients had to be categorized by age group. Children under three years old have to be monitored closely because they are the ones more vulnerable to deceases.

From September 23 to 25, the surveillance team recorded at least 37 individuals experiencing diarrhea.

On September 23 (Sunday), DOH-7 counted at least 15 patients, four of whom belong to the vulnerable age group.

Fifteen other cases were recorded the next day with five patients at least three years old.

Surveillance on the health condition of survivors started from the main evacuation centers with bigger population and eventually to other temporary shelters, including the Mormon's Church and the San Fernando town's covered court.

Based on the September 26 data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the number of families at evacuation centers has reached 1,716 or 7,653 individuals.

Of this number, 1,516 are infants and 2,853 are children.

Personnel from DOH7 and DOH-retained hospitals are stationed at the Enan Chiong Activity Center and Naga Central Elementary School. The regional operation center at DOH7 office in Cebu City was also activated to augment and support the medical and emergency response in City of Naga

Task Force Medical, led by DOH-7, was earlier created to coordinate health offices and other significant stakeholders to oversee the emergency operations and health sanitation following the calamity.

That is why DOH-7 also conducted water sampling to determine the cause of the sporadic cases of diarrhea in the different evacuation centers.

It was later found out that most water sources there tested positive for fecal coliform.  Blanco said that apart from contaminated water sources, health authorities are also eyeing other causes or factors such as poor hygiene among evacuees.

Quarry Sites

Meanwhile, the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) will check two main areas as it inspects 35 small-scale quarry sites in Cebu Province – the risk situation at the quarry sites and whether or not the operations comply with environmental laws.

 Representatives from these quarry operations will gather at the Capitol today to determine the schedule of the visits and other guidelines.

PENRO will conduct inspection following the suspension of quarry operations under five hectares in the province. Governor Hilario Davide III suspended the operation of these quarries following the deadly landslides in Naga City.

The operation can resume only if, following inspection, PENRO will certify that laws are being complied with and risks to nearby community are being addressed.

Seven of affected small-scale quarry companies are in Naga City. There are two companies in Minglanilla, two in San Fernando, two in Argao, one in Dalaguete, three in Alcantara, four in Consolacion, two in Compostela, two in Danao, two in Carmen, one in Tabogon, two in Medellin, two in Pinamungajan, and one in Asturias.

Only small quarry operations are affected by the governor's order because his authority only covers operators whose quarries are less than five hectares.

During site inspection, PENRO will check if an operation employs the benching method, which designs the site like a staircase. This method reportedly minimizes damage if ever the land from the top will erode.

PENRO will also check if the site has a perimeter fence to ensure that no unauthorized individuals get into the site and may be prone to hazards, and if workers there are provided with protective gear and if they are aware of the operations at the site.

PENRO will also identify radial areas from the ground zero of quarry sites. Areas within five meters away from the perimeter fence of the quarry sites are buffer zones and are, therefore, no build zones for residential houses.

Aside from PENRO, geologists and engineers from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) will also be part of the inspection team.

Barangay leaders will also be made to join the inspection to ensure that complaints or areas that need rehabilitation will be addressed.

Earlier, Davide said he is giving PENRO 20 days to finish the inspection.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu suspended all quarry operations for at least 15 days in eight regions namely region 1, 3, 4A, 5, 7, 10, 11, and 13. So far, only quarrying is suspended and not mining in general. It refers to a method of mining on the surface level using mechanical tools to extract non-metallic minerals like limestone.

Aid

The Lapu-Lapu City Government will turn over P2 million cash assistance to Naga City today.

"Nakita man sad nato pila ka tawo (na-victimize ug ang damage nga nahimo. We were just doing some estimate kon pila ang makaya namo nga mada nga matabangan gyod nato," said Mayor Paz Radaza.

Its neighbor, Mandaue City, gave P200,000 last week immediately after the landslide. – with Christell Fatima M. Tudtud and Mae Clydyl L. Avila, JMO (FREEMAN)