AFTER surveying first hand the devastation caused by the magnitude 6.9-earthquake in Cebu on Thursday, President Marcos announced an initial P580 million worth of financial assistance for the island province.
The Chief Executive visited Bogo City, Cebu, which was close to the epicenter of the earthquake, which killed 72 people and left many parts of the city in ruins, when it struck on Monday night.
‘The biggest damage that the earthquake caused was damage to infrastructure, buildings, and then things like the hospital. Look at this city hall. That’s exactly the effect,’ he said in Filipino in his speech outside the Bogo City Hall.
With the assessment on structural integrity of the many buildings in the city still ongoing, many residents of the city will be forced to temporarily live in tent cities.
‘We’re just hurrying [establishing the tent city]. so they can find shelter here. Because many, rightly so, are afraid to go back to the building. They’d rather be outside,’ Marcos added.
He assured that the tent city will have sufficient food, water, and electricity supply as well as sanitation facilities.
As of Thursday morning, the Department of Energy (DOE) was working to restore power in Bogo City.
Those whose houses were destroyed by the earthquake will get P10,000 cash assistance, Marcos said.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported the earthquake in Cebu has affected 170,959 people and left 501 houses partially damaged and 96, which were totally damaged.
Financial support
TO help the provincial government of Cebu, which has declared a state of calamity, to manage the pressing concerns in its quake-affected areas, the President said the national government will provide it with financial support.
He said the Office of the President (OP) will release P180 million for its quake assistance, of which, P50 million will go to the Cebu provincial government and P20 million to Bogo City.
The remaining amount will be distributed to the following municipalities: Bantayan (P10 million); Daanbantayan (P10 million); Madridejos (P10 million); Medellin (P10 million); San Remigio (P20 million);Santa Fe (P10 million); Sogod (P20 million); Tabogon (P10 million); and Tabuelan (P10 million).
The provincial government of Cebu said the President also announced each of the local government unit-run hospitals will receive P5 million each and P20 million for a Department of Health-owned hospital in the province.
Marcos said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has deployed engineers to check on the status of the hospitals to determine if they can still accommodate patients after the recent earthquake.
The President also announced that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) will release P375 Local Government Support Fund (LGSF). Cebu will get the bulk of the fund with P150 million while the towns of San Remigio and Medellin as well as Bogo City, will each receive P75 million.
The national government, Marcos said, will continue to extend aid to help in the ongoing rehabilitation efforts in the quake-hit areas.
‘We will continue to monitor. We will continue to coordinate with the leaders-the local leadership to make sure that our rehabilitation and all the support we provide are going well,’ Marcos said.
Full arsenal
THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has mobilized its ‘full arsenal’ of disaster relief to assist families affected by the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Cebu on Tuesday night.
Assistant Secretary Leo Quintilla, concurrent Officer-In-Charge of the DSWD’s National Resource and Logistics Management Bureau (NRLMB), said the agency is providing food, water, shelter, and psychosocial support while preparing early recovery interventions, including the Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) program.
As of the latest report, at least 4,000 families-approximately 20,000 individuals-remain displaced outside evacuation centers due to ongoing aftershocks.
‘We have deployed the full arsenal of the DSWD for the 6.9-magnitude earthquake. We are utilizing all available resources to both mitigate its effects and respond to the needs in the affected areas,’ he said.
The relief operations follow the President’s directive to immediately reach out to affected families and ensure the delivery of adequate assistance.
Immediately after the earthquake, Quintilla said the DSWD partnered with the Philippine Coast Guard to deliver ready-to-eat meals to Bogo City, one of the hardest-hit areas in Northern Cebu, despite uncertain road access. The department also deployed mobile command centers, water filtration trucks, water tankers, mobile kitchens, and food packs.
‘Our trucks are already on-site, including water trucks with filtration machines to ensure the availability of water, as the earthquake also affected the local water systems. Our water filtration kits are there, along with food packs and ready-to-eat meals [Rtef],’ Quintilla added.
The DSWD has initially released 6,800 family food packs (FFPs) and 2,000 ready-to-eat meals, with numbers expected to rise as operations continue. Cebu’s Visayas Disaster Resource Center is producing thousands of additional FFPs, ensuring an adequate supply for the entire province. Nationwide, the Department maintains 2.3 million prepositioned FFPs across hubs and distribution points.
Beyond immediate relief, the DSWD official also said that it is providing psychosocial support services to help survivors cope with trauma. Neighboring field offices have deployed social workers to assist families in evacuation centers.
Burial assistance will also be extended to families of earthquake fatalities. Early recovery efforts include the rollout of the ECT program, which provides flexible financial aid for essentials such as food and home repairs.
‘Aside from immediate response, we are preparing for the ECT, which allows families to use the cash for urgent needs like rebuilding shelters or buying food,’ Quintilla explained.