Magnitude 5.3 quake damages schools in Negros

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By Dolly Yasa

MOISES PADILLA, Negros Occidental — A magnitude 5.3 earthquake that shook Negros Occidental on Tuesday night caused damage to several schools and an evacuation center in this town, as well as other structures across the province.

The latest inspection on Thursday, Oct. 2, led by Municipal Engineer Agnes Glia Mabag and Fire Officer Joseph Raleigh Biñas of the Bureau of Fire Protection, confirmed structural damage in Barangay Odiong.

Odiong Elementary School sustained the most severe impact, with multiple cracks found on floors and walls, including one wall that showed signs of tilting, and Mabag noted that the building, constructed in the 1980s, is more vulnerable due to age.

Meanwhile, Guinpana-an National High School–Odiong Extension showed only minor cracks on its walls.

The Odiong inspection followed an earlier assessment on Wednesday, Oct. 1, which reported damage at Montilla Elementary School, and the town’s main evacuation center was also found to have sustained minor cracks.

No casualties or injuries were reported in all the affected schools and facilities.

In Cadiz City, minor cracks were discovered on the fourth and fifth floors of Cadiz District Hospital, prompting the evacuation of patients from those areas.

The hospital, however, continues to operate.

The centuries-old Santa Maria Magdalena Church in Hinigaran also suffered damage, with portions of its coral stone walls reportedly peeling off, and the church, built in 1848, is considered a provincial landmark.

San Carlos City Mayor Renato Gustilo confirmed that the firewall of a local drugstore collapsed during the tremor, but no injuries were reported.

Provincial Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson announced that the Negros Occidental Capitol Building in Bacolod City was found free of structural damage after immediate inspection by the Provincial Engineering Office, and Bacolod City’s Government Center was similarly declared safe, according to City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head Ana Marie Pornan.

Despite the clearance, Lacson and Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya suspended work at both facilities on Wednesday as a precaution.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office reported that classes were suspended in 28 local government units, while 11 LGUs suspended work in government offices.

Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr. said teachers were tasked to inspect their classrooms for potential structural damage.

The PDRRMO said the quake was felt at intensities ranging from I to VI in various towns and cities across Negros Occidental.

Local disaster councils continue to monitor other public infrastructure and residential areas for possible quake-related impacts.