MANILA, Philippines – After 3 strong earthquakes struck Cotabato in October, affected local government units are now struggling to continue keeping “business as usual.”

It is difficult to keep providing basic and frontline services to constituents when government facilities are unsafe, said Quezon City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office chief Myke Marasigan, who helped conduct inspections in the quake-stricken areas.

“How can the government function if there’s no municipal hall or a city hall? And lahat naman ‘yan magsastart lahat sa government… How can you help your constituents kung ang gobyerno ang bagsak? So ‘yun ang dapat tingnan,” Marasigan said.

(How can the government function if there’s no municipal hall or a city hall? Everything will start with the government. How can you help your constituents if the government itself is down? So they will have to address that.)

 Government workers in Kidapawan City and municipalities of Tulunan, M’lang, Arakan, and Makilala in Cotabato and Samal City in Davao del Norte have called out to other local government units, asking for assistance with damage assessment and rehabilitation. (READ: Will engineers, architects go on ‘earthquake mission’ to assess structures?)

Here are some of the damaged government facilities in the affected areas as documented by the QC DRRM Council. Descriptions were based on remarks from the Quezon City Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis team. (READ: Building back better: QC helps Cotabato assess damage after earthquakes)

Kidapawan

Colegio de Kidapawan

Kidapawan City Sports Center

Kidapawan requested for experts who could their train personnel on critical incidence stress debriefing and damage assessment. The city also requested for financial assistance from Quezon City amounting to P100 million to fund the relocation and housing of displaced families.

Makilala

Municipal Hall

The rehabilitation for two municipal hall buildings is valued at P65 million. 

Fire Station

Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office

Municipal Health Office

Senior Citizen Center

Senior Citizens’ Building

Gymnasium 

The rehabilitation for the gymnasium will cost P100 million.

Library and Information Center

Tulunan

Bacong Elementary School

M’lang

M’lang National High School 

Nueva Vida High School

The rehabilitation of the school will cost around P60 million.

– Rappler.com