By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet

Shortly after an earlier visit to the ground zero of the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck provinces in south-central Mindanao on June 8, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. checked on affected communities in Sarangani and General Santos City on Monday.

His visit began with an aerial inspection of the province, where he witnessed damaged infrastructure and various landslides in mountainous areas.

The President went on to visit the evacuation center in the Municipality of Glan, where he interacted with displaced residents and reassured them of adequate support and continuing assistance from the government.

Along with DPWH officials, he also inspected the damaged Sapu Masla Bridge in Malapatan, a key transport link whose damage has slowed the movement of residents, farmers, and traders.

This was followed by a situation briefing with local authorities, where President Marcos Jr. listened to their concerns and led the turnover of patient transport vehicles (PTVs) to affected provinces.

On a roll

At the sidelines of his Sarangani visit, the Chief Executive facilitated the distribution of PTVs from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to their respective beneficiaries, as part of ongoing relief and recovery efforts in the disaster zone.

One PTV unit was also awarded to Cotabato Province, represented by Vice Governor Rochella Marie Taray on behalf of Governor Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza.

The provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, and Davao del Norte received two PTV units each.

Earlier, two other units were received by the Sarangani Provincial Hospital in the Municipality of Alabel.

The patient transport vehicles form part of the relief assistance earlier deployed by the PCSO to affected areas, which also included medical kits, medicines, medical supplies, and health equipment.

Moreover, the DOH also distributed 350 hygiene kits, 4,000 multivitamin capsules, 2,120 medicine tablets, 84 tubes of antifungal cream, 244 bottles of multivitamins and cough syrup, and 80 sachets of oral rehydration salts in Sarangani and General Santos City.

Financial support

Rounding up his engagements in the quake-hit province, the Chief Executive led the distribution of P278 million from the Socio-Civic Projects Fund of the Office of the President to affected provinces and LGUs.

According to the Presidential Communications Office, the allocation of financial resources to these locales was as follows:

• Sarangani, General Santos City – P50 million each
• South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat – P30 million each
• Davao Occidental and Glan, Sarangani – P20 million each
• Zamboanga City – P15 million
• 12 other LGUs – P3 million – P10 million

Meanwhile, the Department of Budget and Management also released support through the Local Government Support Fund, with P100 million awarded to General Santos City for the repair and rehabilitation of its damaged city hall.

An additional PhP50 million each will also be distributed to the municipalities of Alabel and Glan for the improvement and rehabilitation of government buildings and a hospital damaged by the earthquake.

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