South Cotabato under state of calamity due to magnitude 7.8 quake

COTABATO CITY – South Cotabato has been placed under a state of calamity to access emergency funds and implement recovery measures following the devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake in southern Mindanao on June 8.

In a special session on Tuesday, the Provincial Board of South Cotabato unanimously approved a resolution putting the entire province under a state of calamity.

Board Member Cecil Diel, chair of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s (SP) Committee on Social Services, said sufficient grounds exist to declare a state of calamity across the province, including the earlier declarations made by the municipalities of Banga, Tboli, Tupi, and Lake Sebu.

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The declaration will enable the provincial government to access and utilize its Quick Response Fund (QRF) to support emergency operations, humanitarian interventions, and assistance programs for residents affected by the earthquake.

Diel said the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) passed a resolution asking for the provincial board to declare a state of calamity and approve the use of the P20 million 2026 Quick Response Fund.

The powerful tremor claimed the lives of four individuals and injured more than 200 others in South Cotabato, data from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) showed.

The earthquake also caused significant damage to public infrastructure, including 47 buildings, two bridges, and 10 road sections across the province, with an estimated cost of P833 million, Rolly Doane Aquino, PDRRMO head, said.

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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr had turned over P152 million to help the province accelerate its recovery efforts while ensuring that essential services remain uninterrupted.

READ: Mindanao quake death toll climbs to 78; 1.5 million affected

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South Cotabato Vice Governor Arthur Pingoy, SP presiding officer, said the declaration will help accelerate disaster response efforts and facilitate the immediate release of funds needed for relief, rehabilitation, and recovery initiatives in the affected communities./coa

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