AT least 24 heritage churches in Pampanga face possible temporary closure after sustaining damage from the 6.1-magnitude earthquake that shook Metro Manila and a large swath of Luzon on Monday.
This, as Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin ordered an inspection of all court houses to ensure their structural integrity, and the Department of Education (DepEd) gave a similar directive concerning school buildings and facilities, telling officials on the ground to ensure their safety “before allowing learners, teachers and personnel to enter the same.”
Bersamin on Tuesday personally conducted an inspection of some of the areas in the Supreme Court premises to check for damage.
Meanwhile, the Metro Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MMDRRMC) also ordered the inspection of government buildings and infrastructure in Metro Manila.
In an advisory, the Archdiocesan Commission on Church Heritage (ACCH) of the Archdiocese of Pampanga recommended the temporary “lockdown” of the churches, while undergoing structural assessment.
The commission recommended the closure “until deemed safe by experts.”
“The Technical Secretariat is coordinating with experts and national agencies to assure everyone’s safety,” ACCH said.
Among the churches listed on the recommendation are the Holy Rosary Parish in Angeles City, Pampanga; Nuestra Señora de Gracia Parish in Mabalacat City, Pampanga; San Bartolome Apostol Parish in Magalang, Pampanga; San Agustin Parish in Lubao, Pampanga; Santa Lucia Parish in Sasmuan, Pampanga; Immaculada Concepcion Parish in Guagua, Pampanga; Santiago Apostol Parish in Betis, Guagua, Pampanga; San Jose Labrador Parish in Floridablanca, Pampanga; Santa Catalina de Alexandria Parish in Porac, Pampanga; and Santa Rita de Cascia Parish in Santa Rita, Pampanga.
Other affected churches which could be temporarily closed are the Metropolitan Cathedral City of San Fernando, Pampanga; Santa Catalina de Alexandria Parish in Arayat, Pampanga; San Guillermo Parish in Bacolor, Pampanga; Santa Monica Parish in Mexico, Pampanga; Santa Ana Parish in Santa Ana, Pampanga; San Vicente Ferrer Parish Calulut, City of San Fernando, Pampanga.
The remaining churches are the San Pedro Apostol Parish in Apalit, Pampanga; San Andres Parish in Candaba, Pampanga; San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish in Macabebe, Pampanga; San Miguel Arkanghel Parish in Masantol, Pampanga; Sta. Monica Parish in Minalin, Pampanga; San Luis Gonzaga Parish in San Luis, Pampanga; Nuestra Señora del Pilar Parish in San Simon, Pampanga; and Sto. Tomas Apostol Parish in Sto. Tomas, Pampanga.
Similar inspections are now also being conducted in churches, seminaries and schools under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Manila.
“Please check also the parish church, rectory, pastoral halls, and schools for possible cracks or damage, so that appropriate action could be taken,” Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle said in a news statement issued on Tuesday.
As of noon on Tuesday, the Department of Health (DOH) reported at least 16 people died from the earthquake, which originated in Zambales.
Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President Archbishop Romulo Valles called for prayers for all the quake victims.
“We pray that those injured and lost properties will be comforted, that help will come and we also pray especially for the grieving people who have lost dear ones in the earthquake, and we hope recovery,” Valles said in a report by CBCPNews.
Valles also prayed for divine aid to the people, who are helping the victims of the earthquake.
Court inspections
MEANWHILE, Chief Justice Bersamin also directed Court Administrator Midas Marquez to ensure that all judges and court personnel are safe.
The Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) supervises over 2,000 judges and 25,000 court personnel.
The SC was among the government offices in Metro Manila forced to suspend work to give way for a thorough inspection of government buildings and establishments.
The Senate, located on reclaimed land in Pasay City, also suspended work; same with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Bersamin gave executive judges the dis-cretion to suspend work in other affected areas.
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Immigration assured the public it has enough personnel to attend to passengers of flights that have been diverted to Manila from the Clark International Airport (CIA), which was temporarily closed after having being damaged in Monday’s earthquake.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente directed BI Port Operations Division Chief Grifton Medina to extend for an indefinite period the ban on the filing of vacation leaves by BI personnel assigned at the Naia, particularly those performing counter duties.
“I have asked our primary line officers to extend the period of their sacrifice in the name of public service. Their services are much needed now with the influx of more passengers as a result of flight diversions from the Clark airport,” Medina said.
Check on schools
“AS per instructions from Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones, all principals, school heads and teachers-in-charge are hereby instructed to undertake thorough investigation of all school buildings and facilities before allowing learners, teachers and personnel to enter the same,” stated the memo signed by Undersecretary Alain Del B. Pascua.
The DepEd reported that at least nine schools sustained damage from the tremor.
Likewise, engineers, architects and disaster risk-reduction management (DRRM) offices were instructed to ensure the safety of DepEd buildings, facilities, schools and offices.
For his part, MMDA Chairman Danilo Lim, concurrent head of MMDRRMC, issued a memorandum on Monday directing all concerned MMDRRMC member agencies and local disaster-risk reduction and management councils to do an inspection focusing on the structural integrity of all government structures in the metropolis.
“You are hereby directed to conduct an inspection of all government buildings and infrastructures in your respective areas of responsibility,” said Lim’s one-page memorandum.
Lim also ordered the conduct of post-earthquake building inspection at the MMDA headquarters in Makati City.
On Monday night 10 personnel from MMDA’s Public Safety Division were deployed to help in the search and rescue operations at Porac, Pampanga, one of the areas severely affected by the tremor.
In Makati City, Mayor Abigail Binay directed key personnel from the Makati DRRMO, Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW), Office of the Building Official (OBO), and Bureau of Fire and Protection converge at the Command Center at Makati City Hall Quadrangle to collate reports and tally the number of damaged buildings and other infrastructure.
The mayor also ordered a thorough inspection of all buildings in the city, especially the Central Business District, to ensure the safety of workers and residents.
Emergency responders also conducted a Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (DANA) briefing to plan their next course of action.
Jica study
IN 2010, a joint study by the MMDA, Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) and other government agencies said a lack of preparation in the event of a strong quake could wreak havoc on the metropolis.
Dubbed the Metro Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study (MMEIRS), the study showed that a 7.2-magnitude quake would result in 34,000 people killed instantly; 110,000 injured; 13 percent of 170,000 residential buildings heavily damaged or collapsed, rendering 1.2 million people homeless; around 25 percent of critical public facilities like hospitals and schools moderately damaged; and 500 fire breakouts.
With reports by Joel R. San Juan and Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco