MANILA, Philippines — 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.
In a statement, 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," he said.
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.
At present, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund has an available 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 national government has 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 non-food items for nearly 90,000 affected families.
