The Manila Times

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GenSan to get P100M aid, kin of quake victims, P50K

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday announced that General Santos City would receive P100 million in financial assistance for the repair of its city hall damaged by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao earlier this week. During his visit to earthquake-hit areas, Marcos also announced that the families of those who died in the earthquake in Mindanao would each receive P50,000 from his office. Forty-five people have so far been reported dead due to the powerful earthquake, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). The NDRRMC said 33 of the reported deaths were from Soccsksargen, while 12 were from the Davao Region. The powerful quake caused massive destruction in different parts of Mindanao, causing a state of calamity to be declared in General Santos City, and in Alabel and Glan towns in Sarangani. The president said the Department of Budget and Management would also release funds under the Local Government Support Fund for infrastructure repair in Sarangani and South Cotabato. “There was damage there, but this is really the hardest hit,” Marcos said. “Right now, there are clearly visible damage. But we still need to make sure that everything is safe. That’s why engineers will be sent in to assess which parts of the building can still be used, which parts are no longer safe, and whether the entire building needs to be demolished. We need to be properly informed about that,” he added. The president also said that power supply is now 85 percent restored. “There are still two or three areas that cannot be accessed at the moment, so the distribution lines and even the power plants there cannot yet be repaired. Two plants had to stop operations,” he added. Marcos said that those areas cannot be reached because the roads were blocked due to damage or landslides. He said that areas like Glan, which cannot be accessed due to road closures, have received relief goods delivered by air. “The Armed Forces of the Philippines reported to me that they have already delivered food, medicines and other basic necessities that we regularly provide to those affected by this disaster,” he said. The president said communication has also been restored while water supply is being addressed. Marcos said the government was also working to provide psychosocial services for students, teachers and other residents who may have been traumatized by the seismic event. The president flew to General Santos City to assess the extent of the damage and determine the immediate needs of those affected by the earthquake. Marcos first visited St. Elizabeth Hospital with General Santos City Mayor Lorelie Pacquiao and the hospital’s chief executive officer, Tony Veneracion. He then proceeded to oversee the distribution of assistance at the General Santos City Oval Plaza. Marcos also visited the Romana C. Acharon Central Elementary School and General Santos National High School to assess the impact of the earthquake on educational facilities. Meanwhile, Marcos assured those who are out of work because their workplaces closed due to the earthquake that the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and Department of Labor and Employment will provide them assistance to remedy their situation. He also said that those whose houses were damaged were also told to report the condition of their homes to the National Housing Authority. “Now, we are also working very quickly to open all roads so that our vehicles can access all areas. This is to deliver aid, repair electricity and water systems, and generally speed up the delivery of services here,” Marcos said. “So, that’s the situation right now. And we hope we will not feel any more aftershocks, and we can continue to work to bring whatever the needs are of those who were victimized by this earthquake,” he added. Aftershocks complicate rescue efforts Dozens of rescuers in hard hats scrambled out of a partially collapsed grocery on Wednesday as it was rattled by an aftershock. A safety officer blew his whistle and others screamed to warn about 30 firefighters and Coast Guard personnel to dash to safety as concrete debris crashed down from the leaning three-story building in General Santos City. “It was a strong aftershock, and an alarm was immediately sounded so those inside and under the damaged building can run out for a head count,” said Ressa Mia Tactaquin-Betoya, who speaks for the firefighters searching for the last employee missing in the ruined grocery, where two upper floors collapsed during the initial quake. “It was scary because we don’t want our rescuers to be harmed so the area must be secured before they can go back in,” she said. The earthquake has been followed by more than 2,100 aftershocks including a few that ranged up to 6.4 magnitude, which is strong enough to cause more casualties and damage, according to Teresito Bacolcol, who heads the Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. More than 25,000 people remain displaced, many of them staying in 45 government-run emergency shelters and still too traumatized to return home, officials said. Monday’s quake was one of the most powerful to hit the Philippines in a half century. It injured at least 630 people and damaged more than 3,100 houses, 29 roads, 11 bridges and more than 100 government buildings. It also damaged the international airport in General Santos, forcing it to shut down indefinitely except for government and military flights transporting aid and disaster-response personnel, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines spokesman Eric Apolonio said. About 6,000 public school buildings in quake-hit provinces must be assessed before classes can resume. The quake struck on the first day of classes nationwide after a two-month summer break, and many who sustained injuries were young students who had gathered with excitement for morning flag-raising ceremonies. Most of the deaths were caused by falling debris from collapsed buildings and landslides in General Santos and the nearby provinces of Sarangani, South Cotabato and Davao Occidental. At least one person died after being swept out to sea following the quake, as waves up to 1.4 meters above tide level were measured in the southern Philippines. Smaller waves washed ashore in Indonesia and Palau, and as far away as southern Japan before tsunami warnings were lifted. Seven swimmers near General Santos were swept away by strong currents in the minutes after the quake. Three were rescued by the Coast Guard, one managed to swim back to shore, one drowned and two remain missing, the Philippine Coast Guard said. The strong currents that swept away the victims were most likely set off by the earthquake, Bacolcol said. The earthquake was set off by movement in the Cotabato Trench and was one of the strongest to hit the country since the same undersea depression triggered an 8.1-magnitude quake that whipped up tsunami waves on Aug. 17, 1976, and killed about 8,000 people. Emergency help Meanwhile, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) said it has allocated P15.1 billion in emergency aid for 608,343 members and pensioners impacted by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Mindanao. GSIS President and General Manager Wick Veloso said GSIS is prepared to expedite insurance claims for government entities whose properties sustained damage in the earthquake. “Our thoughts are with our fellow Filipinos in Mindanao affected by this powerful earthquake,” Veloso expressed. “The GSIS is ready to provide accessible financial assistance to aid our members, pensioners and partner government agencies in their recovery and rebuilding efforts.” The GSIS Emergency Loan Program is now open to eligible active members, along with old-age and disability pensioners, who are living or working in areas officially declared under a state of calamity by their local government units. Applications will be accepted until Sept. 7. Qualified borrowers may apply for a maximum of P40,000 if they already have an emergency loan (with net proceeds not exceeding P20,000), or up to P20,000 if they do not. The loan has an interest rate of 6 percent per annum, payable over a period of 36 months, with the proceeds directly credited to the borrower’s ATM card. Also on Wednesday, Sen. Mark Villar expressed solidarity with the people of Mindanao following the recent magnitude 7.8 earthquake. The senator extended his sympathies to families who suffered loss, displacement, injuries and other hardships resulting from the powerful quake and its aftermath. The senator reiterated his support for ongoing relief and rehabilitation initiatives, stressing the need for coordinated efforts among government agencies, local government units and humanitarian organizations to help communities rebuild and recover from the disaster.

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