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Operations at General Santos port suspended as a precautionary measure pending the completion of structural inspection and safety assessments of its facilities following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck off Sarangani in Mindanao on June 8
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Transactions with the Port Integrated Clearance Office will, however, continue at the port’s covered court until further notice
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Damage have been recorded in the ports of General Santos, San Roque, Glan, Mabila, and Malalag
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Department of Transportation acting secretary Giovanni Lopez directed the immediate start of rehabilitation in affected port facilities to ensure the safety and continued operations of ports
Operations at General Santos port have been suspended as a precautionary measure pending the completion of structural inspection and safety assessments of its facilities following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck off Sarangani in Mindanao on June 8.
Transactions with the Port Integrated Clearance Office (PICO) will, however, continue at the port’s covered court until further notice, the PPA said in an advisory.
The PICO is a one-stop shop for all PPA transactions like marine and terminal services, berthing, public assistance and complaints, and assessment and collection services, among others.
PPA in a Viber message to PortCalls on June 10 said there are six vessels waiting to berth/at anchorage at General Santos port.
Based on the initial assessment of PPA Port Management Office (PMO) Socsargen, large cracks and settlements were seen in some parts of the wharf area of General Santos port as well as in its port operations building, passenger terminal building (PTB), main gate complex, and north gate complex. Liquefaction was also observed in some parts of the container yard.
Cracks were also seen in buildings at the port of San Roque and port of Glan, while the port of Mabila recorded the biggest damage, including deep cracks in its causeway and concrete pavement, damage in its PTB, ground settlement at the maneuvering area and roll-on/roll-off facility.
PPA PMO Davao, meanwhile, recorded minor cracks in Malalag port’s reinforced concrete backup area and perimeter fence, as well as temporary loss of power supply. The port of Mati also experienced temporary power interruption.
In an inspection of affected ports on June 9, Transportation acting secretary Giovanni Lopez directed the immediate start of rehabilitation in port facilities to ensure the safety and continued operations of ports.
PPA general manager Jay Daniel Santiago, who also led the June 9 inspections, said they still cannot determine the cost of all the damages as their engineering teams are still conducting assessments.
At the same time, Santiago gave assurance that rehabilitation works will immediately start so that normal operations and services can resume at the soonest possible time.
PPA also assured that it remains on alert and will continue to coordinate with other government agencies to ensure the safety and continuous operations of ports while assessment and rehabilitation works are ongoing.
Aside from ports, General Santos airport also recorded fallen debris that spread from the ceiling and walls. Operations at the airport are currently limited to military, government, and humanitarian flights. Lopez had earlier directed accelerating the renovation of the PTB so that commercial operations of the airport can be restored within a week.
READ: CAB asks airlines to give flexible options to quake-affected passengers
The earthquake hit at 7:37 a.m. on June 8 at the southern-central coast of Mindanao, with its epicenter off Sarangani province. It triggered tsunami alerts in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Palau, Japan, Taiwan and Papua New Guinea, which were cancelled or downgraded hours later.
As of the morning of June 10, the Office of Civil Defense said it is verifying reports that were at least 45 casualties, with some 630 others injured, 17 reported missing. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said there are now a total of 33,596 families or 149,372 persons residing in 184 barangays in Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao Region, Soccsksargen and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao affected by the earthquake.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered concerned government agencies to act immediately in addressing issues arising from the Mindanao earthquake. Presidential Communications Office undersecretary and Palace press officer Claire Castro also assured the government has sufficient funds for response operations.— Roumina Pablo
