PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday ordered prioritizing of the re-construction of public schools and hospitals damaged by the 6.8 magnitude earthquake in parts of Mindanao last week.
The President, in a briefing in General Santos City, however, said everyone must wait a bit as the government could not start the re-construction while aftershocks are still expected.
Marcos said constructions are not feasible at the moment.
“All we can do is make an assessment for now for the -construction, we need the schools, hospitals,” he said in Filipino.
At least 52 schools were damaged while two hospitals sustained cracks on its walls.
The President said the government should start preparing construction materials for the rebuilding once the situation improves.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said it has recorded some 180 aftershocks from last Friday’s magnitude 6.8 earthquake in Davao Occidental, as of 8 a.m. yesterday. It said the aftershocks ranged from magnitude 1.4 to 4.9.
The number does not include a magnitude 4.6 aftershock that occurred at 11:24 a.m. yesterday.
Marcos also said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is the lead agency in providing relief assistance to the quake victims.
DSWD Assistant Secretary and spokesman Romel Lopez said the DSWD no longer provides construction materials or housing cash aid for reconstruction but those affected can apply with the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program and use it for the repairs.
Lopez, in a briefing at the DSWD headquarters in Quezon City, said 7,517 families or 34,949 persons from 98 barangays in Regions XI and XII were affected by the earthquake last November 17.
He said P17.74 million worth of assistance have already been provided to the quake victims which include P9.255 million worth of food and non-food relief items and P8.489 million of AICS cash aid. — Jocelyn Montemayor and Victor Reyes
