On October 31 at around 9:11am local time, a 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. The epicenter was near Bulatukan, Soccksargen, Mindanao, and about 10 km deep (six miles).

The island has been experiencing strong earthquakes (M6.0 or more) between October 17 to 29. This quake was the third of the month.  As of today, at least 12 people are dead and over 600 have been injured. 1,100 houses have been damaged of which 340 have been completely destroyed. 133 public facilities have also been damaged of which 94 schools were designated evacuation centers. These numbers are expected to grow. Around 4,400 evacuees are staying at 2 evacuation centers at Kidapawan in North Cotabato and Digos in Davao del Sur. Another 4,800 or more evacuees in the Tulunan region are taking refuge under tents or with their relatives and friends.

The  regional platforms A-PAD Davao and A-PAD Soccksargen under A-PAD Philippines have quickly started assistance activities. On October 31, the Davao Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a member of A-PAD Davao, has started coordinating relief assistance by establishing an emergency assistance management center and accepting donations and relief items.

At this moment, the government of the Philippines has not yet requested assistance from other countries or international organizations. In the meantime, A-PAD headquarters in Tokyo has pledged 1 million yen (Approximately US$9,200) to the A-PAD Philippines for emergency assistance.

Thank you for your generous support.

http://apadm.org/donate/