Pampanga search operations end; P1.6-M quake fund set

By Aaron Recuenco 

The government is conducting damage assessment to determine the funds needed and rehabilitation plan in Central Luzon following the 6.1 magnitude earthquake that hit Luzon last month.

This developed as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), terminated on Tuesday of search, rescue and retrieval missions especially in Pampanga, the hardest-hit province by the quake on April 22.

Defense Secretary and NDRRMC Chairman Delfin Lorenzana said they gave awards to the 1,548 civilians and police and military personnel for participating in the search and rescue missions, especially at the Chuzon Supermarket which collapsed during the tremor.

“We concluded the search, rescue, and retrieval operations here in the city of Porac, Pampanga with gratitude. This operation was a real boost in the arm of our countrymen here and it is nothing short of a blessing and miracle that our rescuers were successful and unharmed,” said Lorenzana.

The earthquake, it was recalled, claimed the lives of 18 people and injured 243 others.

A total of 3,632 families were affected in 41 barangays in Region III, according to Lorenzana.

Some 1,746 houses, on the other hand, were damaged in Bataan, Pampanga, and Zambales, while a total of 334 structures and buildings sustained damages.

A total of P1,641,708.10 worth of assistance was provided for Central Luzon, according to Lorenzana. The funds came from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and local government units.

NDRRMC spokesman Edgar Posadas earlier said the quake caused some P505-million worth of damage in Central Luzon and other areas affected by the tremor.

He said assessment was still being conducted to determine the final damage cost that would eventually assist the national government in allocating funds for rehabilitation.