Malacañang on Monday assured the public that the government has enough funds and resources to support rescue, relief, and recovery efforts following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck off Sarangani and affected several areas in Mindanao.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed concerned agencies to act immediately, attend to the needs of affected communities, and address issues arising from the powerful quake.
“Alam natin na ang pondo sa ngayon ay sapat pa para sa pagsasagawa ng pagliligtas at pag-rescue at para maibsan ang impact ng nangyaring sakuna nitong araw na ’to,” Castro said in a Malacañang briefing.
Budget Assistant Secretary Diana Camacho Mercado said that as of June 5, the combined available Quick Response Funds (QRFs) of national government disaster response agencies stood at P13.14 billion, while the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund had an available balance of P34.23 billion.
Mercado said agencies may request the replenishment of their respective QRFs once fund utilization reaches the prescribed 50-percent threshold, in accordance with existing budgeting and accounting rules.
Budget Undersecretary Goddes Hope Libiran said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is closely coordinating with concerned agencies and is ready to process any request for QRF replenishment to ensure uninterrupted assistance to affected communities.
“For the Sarangani earthquake response, existing QRF resources remain available for immediate deployment by the concerned agencies, while the DBM remains prepared to provide the necessary budgetary support as requirements arise,” Libiran said.
In a statement, Marcos said the Office of Civil Defense and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council are coordinating response efforts and monitoring conditions across affected areas.
He said the national government is mobilizing all necessary resources and that he remains in constant communication with regional offices and local chief executives on the ground.
The President also directed the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to pre-position relief goods and ensure the readiness of evacuation centers, while the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) was placed on standby to assess damage to roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian ordered all field offices in Mindanao to coordinate with local government units and deploy needed assets to assist families affected by the quake.
Gatchalian said more than 1.1 million family food packs and 80,172 non-food items are already prepositioned in Mindanao and ready for distribution. Nationwide, the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group reported that 4.7 million family food packs were available for immediate release during disasters and emergencies as of June 2.
The DSWD said its Quick Response Teams are on standby and continuously coordinating with LGUs for possible resource augmentation. Mobile command centers, mobile kitchens, and other equipment are also ready for deployment.
“DSWD is more than ready to provide immediate response by supporting the needs of the affected families in the entire Mindanao. In fact, we have directed all Field Offices to coordinate closely with the LGUs and deploy social workers in designated evacuation centers to work with the local social workers,” Gatchalian said.
The agency urged residents to monitor advisories and coordinate with their local governments on the nearest evacuation centers, especially as aftershocks remain possible and a tsunami warning has been issued.