Today’s interview with Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez was aired live on Kasangga Mo Ang Langit radio program, aired Mondays-Fridays, 10-11am over at DZRJ 810khz and simulcast live on:
- Explore TV Channel 17,
- Fil Products Cable, Butuan City
- Idol FM Legazpi City
- DyMe Masbate
- 107.1 POWER FM Puerto Princesa Palawan.
- 97.1 WOW FM Roxas Northern Palawan.
The president continues to express his condolences and give financial support to the families of those who died in the earthquake in Ormoc City. According to our guest Mayor Richard Gomez, the city government plans to relocate 1,500 families that have been directly affected by the 6.5 magnitude earthquake, to a Php 70 million government housing site before the year ends. These families come from high-risk areas such as Gaas, Cabaonan, Dolores, Tongonan, and Lake Danao.
According to Mayor Gomez, the quake reached 6.9 magnitude and 5 mountain barangays got suffered landslides. One area hasn’t been reached yet. One died because that person was live on the mountain side and was directly affected by the landslides. 138 were injured based on hospital data. They’re being treated for minor injuries. There’s an urgent need for basic shelter, food and water, as well as power generators to run the gutter tank. Because of the landslide, potable water sources have been affected. Regarding the main roads, they’re all passable despite the damages sustained. For now, only helicopters can land in the airport. They’re waiting for the region to be declared under a State of Calamity in order fast track rehabilitation efforts.
Based on reports from National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), at least 100 megawatts (MW) from Cebu and Luzon, plus the geothermal plants under Energy Development Corp. (EDC) could not fulfill the required power supply due to damages sustained at the Ormoc City substation. To augment the power supply, the DOE had to coordinate with the Department of National Defense, Region 8 Regional Development Council and LGUs to utilize electricity from Phinma Energy Corp. power barges. These three barges has 32-MW barge-mounted bunker-fired diesel generating power station with (8) MW identical Hitachi-Sulzer diesel generator.
According to NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority) businesses in the region are losing approximately P300 million to P500 million pesos daily due to the black out.
