No damage in Metro Manila after strong quake

MANILA, Philippines — The powerful earthquake that shook Abra and other parts of Northern Luzon yesterday morning did not cause any structural damage in Metro Manila.

In the city of Manila where the temblor was felt at Intensity 4, authorities said no buildings were demaged.

The Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office reported no structural damage at city hall, based on assessment by the Department of Engineering and Public Works.

The earthquake compelled employees to evacuate city hall yesterday.

Workers of the city’s six district hospitals and the Manila COVID-19 Field Hospital were also evacuated to safer ground.

The city government reminded the public to duck, cover and hold during an earthquake.

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) did not incur any structural damage.

The Manila International Airport emergency response and safety teams immediately conducted an inspection of the terminals and runways after the earthquake.

The NAIA runways were declared safe for flight operations.

The Philippine Coast Guard reported no major structural damage to its offices in Manila.

The 44-year-old Batasang Pambansa complex in Quezon City, where President Marcos delivered his first State of the Nation Address last Monday, was also not damaged.

Built in 1978, the building housing the House of Representatives did not incur any structural damage after the temblor.

“Structurally, we found no substantial damage. We did not find shattered glasses. No tiles or ceilings were detached,” Floro Banaybanay, deputy secretary general of the Engineering and Physical Facilities Department, said. “There were only superficial cracks.”

Banaybanay said the main building where the plenary hall is located underwent structural retrofitting in 2016.

House secretary general Reginald Velasco ordered an ocular inspection of the Batasan complex yesterday.

“There were no injuries during the earthquake. We evacuated everyone to safer grounds for possible aftershocks,” he said.

Banaybanay said they created eight response teams composed of engineers, architects, housekeepers as well as personnel from the Legislative Staff Bureau and Bureau of Fire Protection to check on the earthquake’s impact on the buildings and rooms at the Batasan complex. – Delon Porcalla, Rudy Santos, Robertzon Ramirez