General santos city: In response to the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Sarangani province on June 8, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) spearheaded a multi-agency relief operation to assist affected families and individuals in isolated towns.
According to Philippines News Agency, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, following a directive from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., monitored and visited the affected areas alongside Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon. Gatchalian emphasized the commitment of the DSWD to deliver rapid response and assistance, stating, "The DSWD stands committed, ready kami tumulong, ready kami rumesponde."
Immediately following the earthquake, Gatchalian traveled to General Santos City to oversee ongoing disaster response operations. He identified the hardest-hit areas, including the municipalities of Glan, Maasim, and Malapatan in Sarangani province, as well as Malita, Don Marcelino, Jose Abad Santos, and Balut Island in Davao Occidental.
The department had prepositioned over 1.1 million family food packs (FFPs) across Mindanao to ensure swift relief distribution. Financial assistance of PHP10,000 was provided to each of the 126 patients at the Sarangani Provincial Hospital and 295 patients at the Dr. Jorge P. Royeca Hospital. The DSWD also distributed ready-to-eat food boxes to mothers in the obstetrics wards and set up outdoor tents at hospitals to serve as temporary shelters for evacuated patients.
In Jose Abad Santos, modular and family tents were erected inside an evacuation center to accommodate displaced residents. Gatchalian assured continued support for affected individuals, stating, "We assure that we will not give up until our countrymen recovers from this tragedy."
As of now, the DSWD has provided humanitarian assistance worth over PHP4.23 million to those affected by the earthquake. To maintain uninterrupted relief efforts, the department has resources, including PHP839.89 million in its Quick Response Fund and PHP4.46 million worth of food and non-food items.
With landslides causing road closures, the DSWD is coordinating with the Philippine Air Force, Philippine Coast Guard, and Philippine Navy to transport additional FFPs by air and sea. "The air force will airlift additional goods today using black hawk helicopters," Gatchalian stated.
The latest Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information and Communication (DROMIC) report indicates that 145,693 individuals, or 32,926 families, from 163 barangays across the Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao Region, and Soccsksargen are affected by the tremor.
