The Department of Social Welfare and Development has released more than ₱983 million in humanitarian assistance to communities affected by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Maasim, Sarangani, on June 8.
Following the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to sustain support for affected families, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian visited General Santos City and Sarangani Province on Tuesday, July 7, to monitor the distribution of assistance for the early recovery of quake victims.
“They may not be in the headlines anymore, but the President’s directive is very clear: help till the earthquake victims get back on their feet. Flew into GenSan City and Sarangani to monitor distribution of sustained financial assistance for early recovery victims,” Gatchalian said in a social media post.
Based on the July 8 report of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Operations Monitoring, Information, and Communication, the earthquake affected 1,655,313 individuals, or 391,871 families.
The affected residents were from 650 barangays across Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao Region, SOCCSKSARGEN, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
To sustain its response, the DSWD said it has ₱4.97 billion worth of relief resources available for immediate distribution. These include ₱643.7 million in Quick Response Funds and ₱4.3 million worth of food and non-food items.
As part of continuing recovery efforts, Gatchalian oversaw the emergency cash transfer payout conducted by the DSWD Field Office 12-SOCCSKSARGEN at the Oval Plaza in General Santos City.
The payout covered affected workers who lost their livelihoods due to the earthquake.
Gatchalian also met with local chief executives to discuss additional long-term interventions for severely affected communities.
“Sat down with Mayor Yap of Glan town in Sarangani to discuss how else the National Government can help us in the recovery of his constituents,” Gatchalian said in his Facebook post.
The DSWD said it will continue providing relief and recovery assistance to help affected families rebuild after the earthquake.