Earthquake in Visayas

It's a tragic day. Earlier, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit the Visayan region. BBC reports that the death toll has now risen to 93 with many more people suffering injuries. I'm watching the news as I write this blog post and it is heartbreaking to see how immense the damage is that was brought about by this natural disaster. People have now camped out in open areas since aftershocks continue to be felt in the region. My friend who has family in Bohol said that they now have experienced 320 aftershocks. That's all in less than 24 hours!

Bohol has been the worst-hit of all the provinces in Visayas since the epicenter of the quake was near the town of Carmen, which is where the world-renowned Chocolate Hills are. Unfortunately, that meant that this important landmark and tourist spot was not spared. This photo from http://www.philstar.com shows how bad the damage was to at least some of these beautiful limestone hills:

photo from http://www.philstar.com/ taken by Robert Michael Poole

Cebu and Bohol are two of the most important historical centers of the country and it's heartbreaking to see so many churches in ruins. The Basílica Minore del Santo Niño in Cebu and the Baclayon Church in Bohol are two of the oldest churches in the country and both suffered major damage. Other churches that were severely impacted are Dauis and Loboc. I visited these churches when my family and I spent a few days in Cebu and Bohol last year and it's heartbreaking to see the damage to these historical landmarks. You can see more photos of heritage sites damaged by the quake here but here's a photo of the Loboc church as it looks now:

AFP Photo courtesy of http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/

And this is what Loboc church looked like before:

I read in www.gmanetwork.com that a Heritage Task Force will be deployed on Thursday to assess the damage and to map out plans for restoration. Hopefully, estimation and restoration efforts will be successful.

I'm still trying to gather more information on how people can help. The only ones I have now are the following, although I reckon the Philippine Red Cross is always a sure place to make a donation as they have now mobilized volunteers and staff to assess the Bohol earthquake.

Bohol Bloggers

La Sallian Community
COSCA will start receiving cash or check donations tomorrow (16 Oct 2013). You may send your donations directly to the DLSU Accounting Office by informing the Cashier to deposit these to the DLSU RELIEF FUND. You are to be given a white and yellow official receipt as proof of your donation. You may provide one copy to Ms. Jan Trampe, COSCA Relief Officer to acknowledge your donation.

For any inquiries, please contact Mr. Joseph Rosal, COSCA Coordinator for Community Engagement at 525-4267 or local 147.