President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday mobilized concerned government agencies to respond to the aftermath of the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Cebu on Tuesday night, prioritizing search and rescue, medical assistance, and relief operations for affected communities.
“Buong puso akong nakikiramay sa mga pamilyang nawalan ng mahal sa buhay, at kasama sa aking mga dasal ang kaligtasan ng mga nasugatan at lahat ng naapektuhan ng lindol. Nasa mga apektadong lugar na po ang ating mga kalihim upang magbigay ng tulong at suriin ang pinsala mula sa lindol at mga aftershock (My heartfelt condolences to the families who lost loved ones. I am praying for the safety of the injured and all those affected by the earthquake. Our government secretaries are already in the affected areas to provide assistance and assess the damage from the earthquake and aftershocks),” the President said.
“Hinihikayat ko ang lahat na manatiling alerto at makinig sa abiso ng inyong lokal na pamahalaan. Sama-sama nating itatawid ang ating mga kababayan at muling itatayo ang mga komunidad na naapektuhan (I am calling everyone to remain alert and heed the advice of their local governments. Together, we will get over this [tragedy] and rebuild the communities that have been affected,” Marcos said.
The President said those who are already on the ground are members of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to ensure that roads and bridges are safe and passable; Department of Energy (DOE) to restore the supply of electricity in affected areas; Department of Health (DOH) to ensure that there are enough health personnel; and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to provide food and non-food relief items.
Marcos said additional personnel from the Bureau of Fire and Protection (BFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have also been deployed to assist in the search and rescue operations and ensure order on the ground, respectively.
He said the Office of Civil Defense and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council are coordinating the operations and ensuring a smooth and orderly government response.
In his report to the President, DILG Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla said the PNP and BFP personnel are now on the ground, leading search and rescue operations while ensuring order in affected areas, especially in preventing looting and maintaining peace and security.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr), through the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), has deployed eight search-and-rescue K9 teams, reinforcing interagency operations in collapsed structures.
The PCG has also dispatched the BRP Teresa Magbanua with doctors, nurses, medics, and emergency supplies to support disaster response.
DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said medical teams from the Cebu South Medical Center and the Eversley Childs Sanitarium and General Hospital have been deployed to attend to the injured and provide emergency care.
DOTr said PCG is also deploying water desalination systems to northern Cebu, where hospitals and evacuation centers are experiencing shortages due to damaged pipelines, to address the urgent need for clean water.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said 300,000 family food packs have been prepositioned across Cebu even before the earthquake happened in anticipation of the immediate needs of the public during emergencies.
Gatchalian said the DSWD’s Visayas Disaster Response Center (VDRC) in Mandaue City produces family food packs (FFPs) on a daily basis to ensure the replenishment of supplies, adding that they have a standby fund of P379 million and have 2.4 million boxes of FFPs prepositioned nationwide.
“Our disaster quick response teams (QRTs) at the Central and Field Offices are on alert and have already reached out to the LGUs to assist the affected families. We know that our fellow Filipinos who had been affected are in need of urgent assistance,” he said.
He said that as of 6 a.m. of Wednesday, a total of 4,034 families or 20,134 persons affected in Carmen and San Remigio in Cebu are being assisted by the agency.
He said 34 families or 134 persons are currently taking temporary shelter at the Carmen Central School, while 4,000 families or 20,000 persons are temporarily staying with their relatives or friends.
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, for her part, called on government agencies to activate their Quick Response Funds (QRF), which serves as an emergency fund used to finance urgent relief and recovery initiatives, and to help communities return to normalcy after disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons.
These agencies include the OCD, DSWD, DPWH, DOH, DILG, PCG, Department of Education, National Irrigation Administration, and Department of Agriculture.
“Our prayers go to the families who lost their loved ones and to all who are enduring this tragedy. In moments like this, government aid must never be delayed,” Pangandaman said.
She said the DBM is ready to replenish the QRF once it is reduced to 50 percent.
She also said the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF) is likewise on standby to support larger-scale needs, including the restoration of damaged facilities and heritage sites, to ensure the immediate recovery of affected communities.
She said that as of Oct. 1, the NDRRMF has a balance of P8.008 billion.
Pangandaman has directed the DBM’s Central and Eastern Visayas offices to coordinate with their regional counterparts in the OCD to identify requirements where DBM may extend assistance.
(Photos from DSWD: The Department of Social Welfare and Development said the MV 4407 Sindangan of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) brought an additional 1,000 boxes of ready-to-eat food packs to Cebu to augment the family food packs in the province.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said at least 300,000 food packs are already available in Cebu.
The DSWD field office 7 in Central Visayas has also readied its mobile water filtration truck for deployment to supply potable water to those affected.)
