Headline Damaged Batanes heritage homes face demolition MediaTitle Philippine Star(www.philstar.com) Date 30 Jul 2019 Section NEWS Order Rank 1 Language English Journalist N/A Frequency Daily Damaged Batanes heritage homes face demolition MANILA, Philippines — Initial damage to infrastructure caused by the earthquakes that hit Itbayat island in the province of Batanes on Saturday has been placed at P72 million, while hundreds of houses may be demolished because these are no longer habitable. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and other government agencies have yet to assess the damage to other public and private properties. Another aftershock, measuring magnitude 3.4, shook Itbayat yesterday. According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the tremor happened at 2:03 p.m., with its epicenter traced 18 kilometers southwest of Itbayat. During a briefing on the situation in areas hit by the earthquake, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said failure to comply with the building code was one of the gaps observed while officials were responding to the effects of the disaster. “I would like to commend the LGUs (local government units), particularly the provincial government and their governor Marilou Cayco and (Itbayat) Mayor Raul de Sagon, for immediately acting and getting response. They were able to convene the local DRRMC and designated an emergency operation center,” Año said. “But we have seen some gaps. Like for example, most of the houses were actually (built during the) Spanish era... and they did not follow the building code. So aside from the 15 houses, probably some of those houses will not be livable anymore. We have to assess the structural integrity and ensure that the building code will be followed,” he added. Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) chief Eduardo del Rosario agreed, saying some houses in the province do not have any steel because they were built more than five decades ago. The HUDCC also warned Itbayat residents that damaged houses declared condemned due to the earthquake would be demolished. “Yes definitely, they will not be allowed to live there anymore because if something happens, we will be having casualties,” Del Rosario told reporters on the sidelines of the 7th Asia Pacific Housing Forum in Makati City. Philippine Navy spokesman Capt. Jonathan Zata revealed yesterday that estimated damage to infrastructure so far is at P72 million, according to the joint task force of the NDRRMC, Department of Health (DOH) and the Batanes provincial government. The NDRRMC, in a separate report, said P47 million in infrastructure damage refers to the Itbayat District Hospital and Itbayat Rural Health Unit. Among the other structures damaged were the Mayan Elementary School and Itbayat National Agriculture High School but damage costs are yet to be assessed. The death toll remained at eight, with one missing and 63 others injured. The NDRRMC said 911 families or 2,963 individuals affected by the earthquakes from five different barangays are at the Itbayat Plaza. Zata said the government has been assisting residents and the Philippine Navy has led the relief and restoration of affected areas. Displaced families have received food and other items from the DOH, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and provincial and local disaster risk reduction management offices. Also helping in relief operations are private firms and non-government organizations like Meralco, Globe Telecom and GMA Kapuso Foundation. Tent plaza Governor Cayco said electricity and communications were restored in the island municipality of Itbayat yesterday morning. Cayco said President Duterte made an aerial survey of Itbayat on board a helicopter last Sunday. She said most of the 3,600 residents of the island are living in tents at the town plaza. The governor appealed to tourists visiting Batanes to avoid Itbayat that has no facilities to accommodate visitors. Itbayat is famous for its 19th century structures and limestone houses. Duterte reminded local officials to comply with the building code to minimize damage caused by earthquakes. – With Evelyn Macairan, Alexis Romero, Neil Jayson Servallos, Helen Flores, Non Alquitran, Sheila Crisostomo, Emmanuel Tupas, Raymund Catindig .