SENATOR DELA ROSA SHARES STORY ON QUAKE, EXTENDS HANDS TO VICTIMS

SENATOR Ronald Bato Dela Rosa said the trembling he experienced on Tuesday, October 29, was the strongest of all the ground movements that hit the Mindanao region the past days.

Dela Rosa, who is presently spending quality time with his family in Barangay Bato in their hometown Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur shared his personal experience on the series of earth shaking that hit the region.

The senator depicted the quake as if it was a prelude to a major explosion in their area. "Parang sasabog 'yung bahay namin sa lakas ng lindol, hinihintay ko na sumabog e. Nasa may garahe kami kasama ko yung mother ko nagkukwentuhan kami nung nag lindol," Dela Rosa said.

Dela Rosa further related that he actually felt an up and down ground movement. "Yung vibration ng bahay na up and down movement na ang bilis at ang lakas na parang prelude to a big explosion," the senator said.

"Parang mas malakas 'yung the other day (Tuesday) na lindol kasi nasa highland area ako ng Davao City sa Eden Nature Park, nag-mountain bike kami. Nakita ko 'yung pavement ng kalsada parang natatanggal na from the ground," he explained. He added that apart from the regular fixtures in their house, the single storey structure per se he supposed, was not damaged.

Dela Rosa was staying in his hometown during the Senate session break. Following the earthquake that hit the whole of Mindanao the past week, he personally visited his kababayans in Santa Cruz and the adjacent municipalities. The senator extended help, distributed relief packs to fellow Mindanaoans on Wednesday, October 30, particularly in the Municipality of

Magsaysay which was one of the most hardly hit areas. He was joined by DSWD Secretary Bautista, who happened to be in Magsaysay with Mayor Davin to assess the situation. While they were distributing the goods and checking in with the residents, another quake struck the whole of Mindanao.

On Thursday, Dela Rosa also visited Ecoland 4000 Condominium, a 5 - storey condo in Davao which did not totally collapse but was badly damaged by the continuous quakes. Dela Rosa also encourages any form of help from the government and non-government sector in order to aid, rescue, rebuild and restore normal life in the affected areas.

On Thursday, the past week, a 6.5 quake shook parts of southern Philippines followed by similar tremors leaving eight fatalities and scores of other people injured. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the earthquake's epicenter was at Tulunan in Cotabato province.