The municipalities of Jimalalud and La Libertad in Negros Oriental are now under a state of calamity.

Guihulngan City is  expected to follow soon.

Jimalalud Mayor Reynaldo Tuanda, who heads the league of municipalities in Negros Oriental, said a state of calamity was declared Tuesday, in his town  after assessment showed heavy damage to  infrastructure and  agriculture.

Tuanda estimated  damage to agriculture at P10 million and to  roads and bridges at P1 billion.

Eight casualties  were recorded so far, identified as  Anafe Estrabela, Analyn Boyles, Anastacio Gerodiaz and  Bandoy Beto.

Anecio Ganolon and Romeo Fabillar of Barangay Balaas were still missing while the  bridge in Barangay Dayoyo was rendered un-passable and practically isolated the rest of the municipalities going north up to barangay Martilo in La Libertad and so on to Guihulngan City.

 Rep. Jocelyn Limkaichong (1st District, Negros Oriental)  confirmed that La Libertad  has declared a state of calamity to enable the LGU to use the  funding.

Search and retrieval operations continue for more than 40 victims believed buried in a landslide at Sitio Bluki-2 in barangay Solonggon La Libertad.  So far, one was retrieved identified as Cindy Lisondra, 22,  and single. Her mother said, Cindy was able to  send a text that she was  still alive underneath the rubble, but search and rescue teams found her  already dead.

Rescue groups also heard somebody calling for help underneath but the  search proved futile yesterday because of darkness and  the difficulty of the backhoe to climb  the  narrow  side of the landslide area.

Rescue groups were merely using shovels to unearth and trying to  locate the origin of the sound underneath as if shouting for help.

President  Noynoy Aquino has been keeping abreast of the situation since the earthquake struck Monday morning. Agencies and departments are implementing his instructions concerning the relief and information-dissemination operations.

Two helicopters have been sent by the East Mindanao Command; another two  by the West Mindanao Command while  the Philippine Coast Guard  dispatched one helicopter, one islander aircraft,  and  two Coast Guard vessels which  joined a Philippine Navy vessel delivering provisions by sea to affected areas.

As of yesterday, the DSWD Region 7  had  provided 2,000 family packs, 2,000 bottles of mineral water, boxes of canned goods, tents, mats, blankets and mosquito nets to Negros Oriental.

The President is also keeping in touch with Limkaichong  concerning   the four cities and municipalities in her district that were badly hit by the recent earthquake: Guihulngan City and  the municipalities of La Libertad, Tayasan, and Jimalalud.

Rep. Limkaichong has also arranged for the delivery of 400 bags of rice from the NFA for  the residents.*JG/RG

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