Looting has been reported in parts of quake-hit Sarangani as food, water, and other basic supplies run low following Monday’s magnitude 7.8 earthquake, local officials said Thursday.
Sarangani public information officer Joana Grace Lapore renewed the provincial government’s appeal for urgent assistance, saying residents in several affected communities are running out of essential supplies.
“There are already reported looting due to hunger; people are out of supplies,” Lapore said in a television interview, speaking partly in Filipino.
She said some residents have broken into damaged houses after learning that the owners had left because the structures were no longer safe.
“Since they have nothing to eat, nothing to drink, if they know no one is inside a damaged house, they break in,” Lapore said. “People are clamoring for help. We really need help.”
Relief delivery has been slowed by damaged roads and bridges, while landslides have made several areas difficult to reach. Clearing operations are ongoing, but access remains a major challenge, especially in isolated communities.
Lapore said supplies are being transported by vessels to the hardest-hit towns, particularly Glan and Malapatan.
“That is a big challenge that we are facing now. That is why we are reiterating our call to please send help. We need potable water, gallons of water, food packs, and even fuel for generators,” she said.
The provincial government has recorded 19 deaths in Sarangani, slightly lower than the 20 fatalities reported by the Office of Civil Defense. Officials expect the number to rise as search, rescue, and retrieval operations continue in areas hit by landslides.
Across affected areas, the earthquake death toll has climbed to 47.
Lapore said several barangays in Glan and Malapatan remain unreachable, with some residents believed to have been buried by landslides.
“We have geographically isolated areas in Malapatan and Glan. We have several barangays that cannot be reached,” she said. “We have a lot of other areas that are hard to reach.”
Local officials continued to appeal for food, potable water, fuel, and other necessities as relief teams work to reach communities cut off by damaged infrastructure and landslides.