On July 6, 2017, a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the western part of Leyte with an epicenter located in Ormoc City. The tremor wrought human casualties, injuries, disruption of economic activities and damage to public and private properties. Subsequently, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte issued Proclamation No. 283, Series of 2017, declaring Ormoc City and Kananga, Leyte under a state of calamity.
National and local government agencies and non-government organizations immediately provided rescue and relief operations to address the immediate needs of the victims. These include retrieving dead bodies, providing medical care, food, water, clothing and shelter, repairing damaged roads, and restoring power networks, among others. Thereafter, damage and loss assessment ensued to facilitate the full rehabilitation and recovery of the affected areas.
The Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) was carried out by technical experts from the national and regional line agencies to estimate the damage and losses and identify the needs of the affected population. Based on the assessment, the total damage and losses amounted to PhP855.6 million with an estimated needs of PhP1.4 billion covering the municipalities of Kananga, Carigara, and Jaro in Leyte. The PDNA report served as the official basis in preparing the rehabilitation and recovery plan (RRP).