Duterte visits quake-hit Batanes

Manila: President Rodrigo Duterte visited Batanes on Sunday to assess the damage of a 5.4 magnitude earthquake that hit the island province, instructing officials to ensure a continuous supply of basic necessities to affected communities according to state media.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte’s visit began with an aerial inspection of affected areas in Itbayat town, where he personally saw the extent of the natural disaster's damage.

“The President also gave three marching orders, the first is to ensure that supply lines in the province are working so residents do not get hungry,” Panelo said.

“Just make sure that your supply line is working so that nobody gets hungry and people are not short of supply,” Duterte told officials of government agencies during a situation briefing.

During the briefing, Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista said the Department of Social Welfare and Development's (DSWD) Field Office II has already prepositioned food and non-food items and it also had a standby stockpiles in Itbayat. On Sunday afternoon, more food items were brought in to Itbayat.

Secretary Bautista assured local officials in Batanes that there was a lot of relief items such as food packs on standby. The DSWD also has cash assistance for protective services as well as support to survivors whose houses were damaged by the quake.

To sustain the supply of relief goods, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has positioned fuel in Batanes for government aircraft.

According to Secretary Lorenzana, the air force has committed several aircraft to the transport relief goods from Manila.

For the transport of construction materials coming from the mainland, the government will use ships from the Philippine Navy, he added.

Health officials reported to the president that doctors from Tuguegarao will go to Batanes to tend to the seriously injured. A team of medical, mental health, and psychosocial support will also come over to help traumatized survivors in Itbayat in their quick recovery.

Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said Saturday’s quake in Itbayat left eight people dead, 63 injured, and one missing. Nine hundred eleven families were also affected and are now staying in tents for fear that their houses will collapse due to aftershocks.

The supply of electricity and potable water has normalized in Itbayat, officials said. The services of telecommunications companies are also back to normal.

The president also called for the improvement of Batanes’ two airports as well as its seaports. The province has two airports, the Itbayat Airport or Jorge Abad Airport and Basco Airport.