By Brian Campued
In line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to ensure timely response following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck offshore Sarangani on Monday morning, government agencies continue to mobilize all necessary resources to reach affected communities and support local governments in ongoing disaster response efforts.
In the Malacañang press briefing on Tuesday, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the President hailed the prompt response of government agencies following the Mindanao quake while underscoring the need to sustain relief efforts.
“Pinuri ng Pangulo ang lahat ng ahensiya para sa mabilis na aksiyon para sa taumbayan pero paalala ng Pangulo, kailangang ipagpatuloy ang paghahanda ng pamahalaan, laging isipin ang mga biktima ng sakuna, at gawing motivation sa kanilang pagsisilbi sa bayan ang mga taong walang matulugan at walang makain sa mga oras ng sakuna,” Castro said.
Marcos convened a situation briefing with key national and local government officials to get updates on ongoing response efforts, damage assessments, and the immediate needs of affected communities.
“Ayon sa Pangulo, gagawin ng pamahalaan ang lahat ng makakaya nito upang maibigay ang kaukulang tulong sa mga apektadong komunidad,” Castro said.
According to Castro, the President has instructed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Health (DOH) to conduct an assessment of damages in hospitals damaged following the temblor, and for the Department to Energy (DOE) to restore electricity in affected medical facilities.
“Binigyang diin ng Pangulo na dapat unahing bisitahin ang mga ospital at maghanap ng mga lugar kung saan ligtas ang mga pasyente mula sa epekto ng lindol,” she said.
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon on Monday flew to Sarangani Province, the ground zero of the 7.8-magnitude quake, to inspect the Dr. Jorge P. Royeca Hospital in General Santos City and the Sarangani Provincial Hospital in Alabel to assess immediate repair requirements following reported structural damage.
“Meron pong mga hospital na yung iba ay ayaw pang tuluyan ng mga pasyente dahil yung iba ay may mga cracks. Kaya po pinapa-check, pinapamadali po ito ng DOH at sa mga structural engineers para makita po yung lawak ng danyos ay safe pa ba na tuluyan o hindi. So pinamamadali po ito agad ng Pangulo,” Castro said.
Dizon has also deployed assessment teams to check the structural integrity of critical infrastructures and ordered clearing operations in landslide-affected roads to ensure unhampered delivery of relief goods.
“Agad nagtungo si Secretary Vince Dizon sa Mindanao upang personal na inspeksiyunin ang mga imprastrukturang naapektuhan ng lindol bilang mabilis na tugon sa utos nga ng Pangulong Marcos Jr. at magsagawa ng on-ground assessment sa lugar,” Castro said.
“Kabilang sa mga critical infrastructure na pinuntahan ni Secretary ay ang Buayan Bridge na agad pinabuksan matapos mai-report na ligtas itong daanan ng mga motorista at walang structural damage na nakita sa tulay maliban sa uneven pavement at minor settlement ng lupa. So, pinapaayos na rin ng kalihim ang mga nakitang sira sa tulay,” she added.
Health Secretary Ted Herbosa also visited Malungon Sarangani Provincial Hospital, where most of the patients have been finally returned to the hospital, while some are still being taken care of in temporary facilities, such as outdoor tents.
In a Facebook post, the DOH assured that the Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team (PEMAT) will provide support to augment manpower needs in affected hospitals.
“Nakapagpadala na rin ng mga truck na may dalang gamot at hygiene kits ang DOH Davao Region at DOH SOCCSKSARGEN bilang parte ng suporta sa mga ospital na patuloy ang pagresponde,” the agency said.
In its report, the DOE announced that power transmission services in South Cotabato, Sarangani, and General Santos City were fully restored as of 1:39 p.m. on Tuesday.
“With transmission services now fully normalized, efforts are currently focused on distribution utilities (DUs) still experiencing partial power interruptions, as field teams continue restoration and validation work on the ground in coordination with industry stakeholders,” the Energy department stated.
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Sec. Rex Gatchalian has also assured assistance to displaced residents in affected communities as well as those staying in hard-to-reach areas.
As of 6:00 a.m. on June 9, a total of 2,045 family food packs (FFPs), 2,705 ready-to-eat food (RTEF) boxes, and 360 non-food items (NFIs) have been distributed by DSWD to augment ongoing relief efforts in Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao Region, and SOCCSKSARGEN.
The agency’s Field Offices also distributed financial aid worth P10,000 to each of the 126 patients at the Sarangani Provincial Hospital and the 295 patients at the Dr. Jorge P. Royeca Hospital who were injured following the earthquake.
As of press time, the DSWD has provided humanitarian assistance worth over P4.23 million to the earthquake-hit individuals and families in Regions IX, X, and XII.
To ensure that relief efforts continue without delay, the department maintains available relief resources, including P839.89 million in its Quick Response Fund (QRF) and P4.46 million worth of food and NFIs.
With landslides causing road closures in the affected communities, the DSWD is using Philippine Air Force helicopters for airlifts while coordinating with the Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Navy to transport additional FFPs by sea.
“Sisiguraduhin namin na hindi bibitaw hanggang sa maiahon natin ang ating mga kababayan mula dito sa trahedya na to; sisiguraduhin natin na hindi natin sila iiwanan, at sisiguraduhin natin na hanggang sa recovery kasama nila kami,” Gatchalian said in a radio interview as quoted in a DSWD press release.
Meanwhile, the Department of Education (DepEd) continues to coordinate with local government units (LGUs) regarding assessment and repair of damaged school facilities, while the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) assures stable connectivity in affected areas.
Based on DepEd’s latest data, there are 398 damaged classrooms recorded in Sultan Kudarat, followed by South Cotabato (299), Davao de Oro (159), and Valencia City and Sarangani (69).
Education Secretary Sonny Angara directed the downloading of P7.7 million for clean-up and clearing operations across 267 affected schools, as well as P43.9 million to fund minor classroom repairs.
As part of the agency’s immediate interventions, Angara ordered an initial allocation of P235.1 million for the deployment of 130 fully equipped Learning Continuity Spaces (LCS)—with emergency power and Starlink Wi-Fi connectivity—across the affected regions.
DepEd also secured P258.98 million to guarantee the printing and rapid delivery of prepositioned learning packets to affected learners.
“Ang prayoridad natin ngayon ay ang kaligtasan at kapakanan ng ating mga guro at mag-aaral. Kailangan muna nating maiayos at mapatag ang sitwasyon sa ground bago natin ligtas na maibalik ang normal na daloy ng edukasyon sa mga silid-aralan,” the DepEd chief said.
During the press briefing, Castro said that President Marcos Jr. is also planning to visit quake-hit areas, although no date has been set yet.
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