A House of Representatives delegation visited General Santos City and Sarangani Province on Thursday to assess damage from the powerful earthquake that struck Mindanao and inspect critical facilities needed for recovery and relief operations.
The visit came three days after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake off the coast of Sarangani triggered tsunami warnings and affected several areas across Mindanao, prompting national and local authorities to intensify monitoring and response efforts.
Upon arrival in General Santos City, the delegation inspected the General Santos International Airport, one of the region’s key transport gateways, to check its condition and operational readiness following the quake.
Lawmakers later met with local officials and regional agency heads to discuss the situation on the ground, ongoing response operations, and immediate needs of affected communities.
Among the issues raised were the status of damaged public facilities, road accessibility, relief delivery, health services, and coordination among local government units and response agencies.
The delegation also proceeded to the Emergency Response Center near the Sarangani Provincial Capitol in Alabel, where officials briefed them on the province’s current crisis situation and emergency measures.
The House said it remains ready to extend assistance to residents affected by the disaster as recovery efforts continue.
“Meron na rin po actually na nakapagtulong na rin po kami at ganun pa rin po kung kailangan pa rin pong tumulong ay nandito naman po ang Kongreso. Kami po ay nakikiisa at nakikiramay at makakaasa po kayo na amin pong patuloy na pagtulong para matiyak na makabangon po tayo ng sabay-sabay sa problema na ito,” Speaker Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III said.
Dy said public facilities such as hospitals, airports, roads, and other key infrastructure must be carefully assessed to determine whether they remain safe and functional.
He noted that hospitals are especially critical at this stage of the emergency, while airports and roads are needed to keep relief goods, medical supplies, and personnel moving into affected areas.
“Yung mga public facilities natin na kailangan, katulad ng ospital, na kailangan na kailangan natin ngayon. Kailangan makitang mabuti yung worthiness, ganun din yung ating airport para tuluy-tuloy,” he said.
He also cited the difficulty of transporting aid to affected communities because of damaged roads, while noting that the Department of Public Works and Highways has continued efforts to restore access.
Local concerns, infrastructure requirements, and recovery initiatives were also discussed with provincial and district officials as the House delegation gathered information on priority needs.
The assessment is expected to guide future discussions on funding requirements, rehabilitation priorities, and assistance for communities affected by the earthquake.