Great
Earthquakes in Diverse Places
Philippines: Earthquake hits Valencia City: 16 injured,
mall, stores, hospital damaged
By MIKE U. CRISMUNDO
November 8, 2011, 11:55am
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – At least 16 persons were
injured while a shopping mall and other department stores, grocery
mart including a hospital were damaged when a 5.2 magnitude
earthquake struck Valencia city, a city bounded with mountains in
Bukidnon province late Monday afternoon.
Identities of the injured persons were not immediately available
as of this posting.
Sketchy report reaching this region’s frontier and capital city of
Cagayan de Oro in Northern Mindanao said that the Roy Plaza
Shopping Complex, Gaisano Mall, Baoseng Enterprises and the
Valencia Sanitarium Hospital and some Grocery Marts and stores
sustained building cracks and damages.
“At least 23 houses within the city proper were also reported
affected by the tremor,” said Major Eugene Julio C. Osias lV,
spokesman of the Army’s 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division.
He added that the Army’s 403rd Infantry Brigade based in Bukidnon
was already directed to help in Valencia City.
Admitted patients at the Valencia Sanitarium Hospital were safely
transferred to other hospitals in that city, it was reported by
Valencia City Social Worker Jerrys Timogan.
However, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD-Region 10) cannot still
establish as of press time the worth of damage brought about by
the earthquake. Region 10 OCD Regional Director Carmelito Lupo
already deployed its regional officials and personnel here, and
OCD personnel in Bukidnon province and Valencia City for immediate
assessment of damage.
Valencia City Mayor Leandro Jose H. Catarata already mobilized all
city’s department heads to also assess the damage while directing
the city’s social welfare office to extend initial assistance to
the victims. He also ordered the deployment of social workers in
Barangay Lumbayao, also that same city where a landslide also
occurred.
The city Chief Executive already mobilized the City Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Council.
Late Monday afternoon, a magnitude 5.2 quake hit Valencia City in
Bukidnon province, the Philippine Volcanology and Seismology
(Phivolcs) reported.
The epicenter of the quake, which occurred at 5:43 p.m., was
traced 32 kilometers southwest of Malaybalay City, Phivolcs said.
It was tectonic in origin, Phivolcs Cagayan de Oro reported.
The Phivolcs also traced the tremor at 86.2 kilometers southeast
of Cagayan de Oro City at a depth of 12 kilometers.
The tremor was also felt in some parts in Northern Mibndanao and
also northwest of Davao and northeast of Cotabato.