Marcos back in quake zone to bring aid, oversee recovery

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines — President Marcos returned to the quake-affected areas in Region 12 for the second time on Monday, less than a week after a powerful earthquake struck the region on June 8.

Marcos arrived at the airport here on Monday morning and immediately proceeded by a helicopter to Glan, the hardest-hit town in Sarangani province, to conduct an aerial inspection and visit evacuees.

As part of the government’s continuing recovery efforts, Marcos turned over P20 million in assistance from the Socio-Civic Projects Fund to the local government of Glan.

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The President also witnessed the distribution of family food packs and hot meals through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) mobile kitchen.

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READ: Floods, coastal uplift affect quake-hit areas in Mindanao

Beneficiaries likewise received P5,000 each under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program, with 453 recipients identified in the municipality.

The President visited Malapatan National High School in neighboring Malapatan town, where the roof of the Technical-Vocational Building completely collapsed during the earthquake.

Malapatan Mayor Salway Sumbo Jr. said classes remained suspended following a magnitude 5.6 aftershock, noting that student safety remains the top priority.

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READ: Over 720,000 affected by M7.8 Mindanao earthquake — NDRRMC

“The children’s safety is more important,” Sumbo said, adding that many learners are still traumatized by the disaster.

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Marcos also inspected the Sapu Masla Bridge in Malapatan, which was among the infrastructure damaged by the powerful tremor. The bridge was reopened to traffic on June 10 following emergency assessments and clearing operations.

Inspection

The President likewise visited the Sarangani Provincial Hospital in Alabel town and led the turnover of two patient transport vehicles to the provincial government.

Patients have been temporarily housed in tents erected in the hospital’s parking area after portions of the facility sustained severe damage.

Marcos also provided a Starlink satellite internet unit to strengthen communications and support relief, recovery and rehabilitation operations in affected communities.

The President directed concerned agencies to expedite rehabilitation efforts and restore damaged facilities to normal operations as soon as possible.

Marcos had earlier visited this city on June 10, two days after the magnitude 7.8 earthquake rocked the region.

The powerful tremor had an offshore epicenter located 32 kilometers (km) west of Maasim, Sarangani, at a depth of 33 km. It was triggered by subduction, or the collision of tectonic plates, along the Cotabato Trench, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

The death toll from the earthquake rose to 65 as of 6 a.m. on Monday, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Deputy Administrator Raffy Alejandro said during a press briefing.

He noted that most of the fatalities were caused by earthquake-induced landslides and falling debris.

Meanwhile, 36 people remained missing, while about 1,400 others were injured across the Davao Region and Soccsksargen, Alejandro said.

As of 6 a.m. on Monday, some 624,000 individuals, or roughly 161,000 families, in 432 barangays had been affected by the earthquake, according to OCD data.

Of the total affected population, around 57,000 individuals were staying outside evacuation centers, while 14,200 were sheltering inside 37 evacuation centers across the affected regions.

Relief operations

OCD Administrator Harold Cabreros said relief teams have begun distributing food, water and temporary shelter assistance to affected residents, particularly in the hardest-hit areas of Glan, Sarangani; General Santos City; and Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental.

Alejandro also reported that damage to public and private infrastructure had reached P1.13 billion.

“Our response and relief operations continue in coordination with all government agencies,” he said.Phivolcs reported that a total of 6,144 aftershocks had been recorded as of 11 a.m. on Monday.

Of these, 78 were felt across the affected regions, according to Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol.DSWD has released a total of P124,946,118.48 in humanitarian assistance for communities affected by the quake.

DSWD Disaster Response Management Bureau Director Maria Isabel Lanada said the agency had distributed 125,242 family food packs, 7,428 ready-to-eat food items and 6,990 nonfood relief items to affected residents.

The agency also provided P36,675,000 in financial aid through its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program.

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Sen. Joel Villanueva on Monday filed Senate Resolution No. 447, urging the national government to ensure adequate funding for the recovery and rehabilitation of quake-hit areas, citing the scale of destruction and the need for a timely and sustainable recovery effort.—WITH REPORTS FROM JASONSIGALES, AND KEITH CLORES