The Quezon City government will provide P1 million each in financial assistance to 10 Cebu local government units that were affected by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake last Tuesday.
The assistance will be provided to the local governments of Bogo City and the towns of Medellin, San Remigio, Bantayan, Santa Fe, Tabogon, Tabuelan, Sogod, Carmen and San Fernando – all identified as among those severely affected by the quake.
Aside from financial assistance, Quezon City also deployed 26 personnel to assist in disaster response.
Engineers and other disaster risk reduction technical crew provided expertise in damage assessment and auditing of affected infrastructure, while emergency medical services and psychosocial teams were deployed to provide immediate medical assistance to affected residents.
‘Quezon City extends its heartfelt prayers, support and solidarity to all the victims of the earthquake,’ city hall said in Filipino. ‘We are ready to provide additional assistance to the best of our ability.’
DSWD relief goods not for sale
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development warned the public that DSWD relief goods are not for sale, after the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) raided a warehouse and arrested a businesswoman along Juan Luna Street in Tondo, Manila on Thursday.
The CIDG operatives caught the businesswoman, identified only as Janice, selling P15.52 million worth of relief kits bearing the DSWD logo.
Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., acting Philippine National Police chief, said Janice negotiated with CIDG operatives for the sale of relief goods that are intended for victims of natural calamities.
‘Relief goods and government assistance are sacred lifelines meant to protect our most vulnerable citizens during times of crisis. Selling or misusing them is illegal,’ Nartatez said in a statement.
Lt. Col. John Guiagui, who heads the CIDG-National Capital Region field unit, said Janice agreed to sell around 6,000 boxes of family kits for P2,588 per piece.
Each family kit contains towels, slippers, t-shirts and underwear for adults and children. Once the boxes were loaded into a truck, police moved in and arrested Janice.
Guiagui said they received information that Janice had been a supplier of relief goods since 2020 but her contract had ended.
‘We are determining whether these items came from the DSWD or were part of over-production,’ Guiagui said.
He noted that Janice would still be liable, no matter the outcome of the investigation, for the illegal use of the DSWD logo – a violation under Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act.
Irene Dumlao, DSWD spokesperson, advised the public that the agency’s food and non-food items are not for sale.
‘The (DSWD) strongly condemns the unauthorized use of our logo and warns unscrupulous individuals that appropriate legal punishment awaits their actions,’ Dumlao said.