By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet

On top of concurrent efforts from various agencies to help Mindanaoans rise from the effects of the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that rocked several provinces on June 8, the government continues to double down on relief and recovery initiatives to address the needs of displaced residents.

Consistent with his earlier mandate of ensuring prompt response in the wake of the disaster, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered the Department of Budget and Management to release P362 million to support the rehabilitation and reconstruction of damaged public facilities in Sarangani, General Santos City, and South Cotabato.

These three locales were among the hardest hit by the tremor, which led to the collapse of several infrastructures and sent many homes made from light materials crashing to the ground.

The funds released by the DBM were sourced from the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF), which President Marcos Jr. hailed as a fundamental financial resource that ensures adequate government support can be downloaded directly to the affected LGUs as they rebuild damaged structures in their respective areas.

DBM Acting Secretary Kim Robert de Leon said in a statement, “Hindi po dapat naghihintay ang mga mamamayan sa oras ng sakuna. Malinaw po ang direktiba ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.—dapat maramdaman agad ng mga naapektuhang komunidad ang tulong ng pamahalaan.

Layunin natin na maibalik agad sa normal ang pamumuhay ng ating mga kababayan, alinsunod sa utos ng Pangulo na walang Pilipinong dapat maiwan sa panahon ng pangangailangan.”

Financial interventions

On June 9, the DBM released P100 million to the City Government of General Santos for the repair and rehabilitation of a multipurpose building in Barangay Dadiangas East.

Meanwhile, P140 million was released on Monday to the Provincial Government of Sarangani for the rehabilitation and improvement of earthquake-damaged infrastructure. 

These include the rehabilitation of multipurpose buildings, a local road, and the construction of a bridge in the Municipality of Alabel, as well as the rehabilitation of a hospital building and construction of a local road in the Municipality of Glan.

On the same date, the DBM also released P122 million to the Provincial Government of South Cotabato to support the concreting of a local road connecting Barangay Acmonan and Barangay Kablon in the Municipality of Tupi, a key infrastructure project expected to improve mobility and support economic recovery in affected communities.

These funds form part of the government’s comprehensive response and financial strategy to aid in the recovery of quake-devastated provinces and LGUs.

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