THE DAVAO de Oro provincial government suspended classes at all levels and work at nonessential local offices on Thursday to give way to building inspections after a magnitude 6 earthquake shook the province on Wednesday night.
Other national agencies in the province could heed the suspension to ensure the safety of their workers, Governor Dorothy Montejo-Gonzaga said in a memo dated Feb. 1. They may also do structural integrity checks in coordination with local government units.
No major damage was reported as of Thursday morning. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said in a bulletin damage and aftershocks were expected.
Phivolcs said the epicenter of the quake that occurred at 6:44 p.m. on Feb. 1 was in the town of Compostela. Intensity 5 was reported in surrounding provinces, including Bukidnon, South Cotabato, Surigao del Sur and Samal Island.
Ms. Gonzaga, who heads the provincial disaster management council, ordered the evacuation of all patients at the Davao de Oro Provincial Hospital to the Montevista Sports Complex.
Phivolcs has recorded at least 30 aftershocks, with magnitudes ranging from 1.8 to 3.6. — Marifi S. Jara