PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the immediate release of emergency aid and recovery funds for families affected by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao last week, Malacañang said Tuesday.
Marcos issued the directive a day after he returned to quake-affected areas in Sarangani Province and General Santos City to check on displaced families and oversee the delivery of government assistance.
Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said that the president’s priority was to save lives, provide immediate relief, restore essential services and infrastructure, and help affected communities bounce back stronger.
“The full machinery of government is mobilized. As per the President’s directive, we have immediately sent assistance to the affected families and we will continue to expedite the release of additional aid to help them recover as soon as possible,” Recto said in a statement.
Recto also welcomed a Senate resolution calling for adequate funding and resources for earthquake-hit communities.
He assured the public that substantial government resources have been rapidly mobilized.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund has an allocation of P34.23 billion that may be tapped for relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction, repair, recovery and other disaster-related interventions.
This included the Quick Response Fund lodged in the allotments of implementing agencies, which has an available allocation of P11.95 billion for rapid deployment.
The government has already started releasing financial assistance to local government units (LGUs) affected by the earthquake.
As of June 15, a total of P362 million had been released, including P100 million for General Santos City, P140 million for Sarangani and P122 million for South Cotabato through the Local Government Support Fund.
The Office of the President also released P278 million in financial assistance under the Socio-Civic Projects Fund to 19 LGUs across Mindanao, particularly in the provinces of Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat, Davao Occidental and South Cotabato, as well as General Santos City.
The assistance package included cash aid, burial assistance worth P50,000 for the families of earthquake fatalities, livelihood support, food assistance, medicines, medical supplies and other essential nonfood items for nearly 90,000 affected families.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development has intensified its relief operations and has so far distributed 125,242 family food packs, 6,990 nonfood items and 7,428 ready-to-eat food boxes.
This was on top of almost P37 million in financial assistance released under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program for injured individuals, bereaved families and other earthquake victims.
The Department of Health (DOH) likewise distributed hygiene kits, vitamins, and emergency medicines. The Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team of DOH-Cotabato Regional Medical Center is on the ground to provide medical support.
Workers who lost their livelihood may qualify under the Department of Labor and Employment’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers program, which provides temporary employment and emergency income support.
The Government Service Insurance System has allocated P15.1 billion for emergency loans covering about 608,000 members and pensioners in affected areas. Eligible beneficiaries may avail themselves of emergency loans of up to P40,000 and P20,000.
The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development will also provide P30,000 in cash assistance to families whose houses were totally destroyed by the earthquake.
It also directed the Pag-IBIG Fund, the National Housing Authority, the Social Housing Finance Corporation, and National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation to grant a moratorium on housing loan amortizations for qualified affected beneficiaries.
The Department of Public Works and Highways prioritized structural assessments of hospitals, public schools, health facilities, roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure, while the Department of Energy (DOE) is working to fully restore electricity in affected areas as quickly as possible.
To support emergency response operations, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, in coordination with the Office of Civil Defense, has deployed 73 emergency telecommunications resources in critical areas.
