MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has pledged that government aid for Cebu will remain unrelenting until thousands of families displaced by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake can rebuild their homes, restore their livelihoods, and return to normalcy.
Visiting Bogo City, one of the hardest-hit areas, the President acknowledged the staggering impact of the quake that uprooted over 65,000 families and caused heavy damage to infrastructure, including heritage sites.
“Sisiguraduhin natin na tuloy-tuloy ang recovery program hanggang lahat ng naapektuhan ay may kinakain, may tinutulugan, at nakabalik na sa normal ang kanilang kabuhayan,” Marcos said in a post-inspection statement.
He stressed the urgency of setting up temporary shelters and ensuring uninterrupted basic utilities.
“Malaki ang pinsala lalo na sa infrastructure, kaya kukuha tayo ng malalaking tent na mabilis itayo at doon ilalagay ang mga pamilyang na-displace,” he said. “Titiyakin natin na may food supply, may water supply, at may kuryente kung saan kailangan. I assured everybody na hindi tayo mauubusan ng pagkain at tubig.”
To streamline relief, Marcos directed the creation of centralized hubs for the distribution of food packs, clean water, health kits, and other essentials.
“So that’s what we are going, those are the people that we have to support until they find better accommodations and arrangements,” he added.
The administration has also released fresh financial assistance: nearly P200 million from the Office of the President, P225 million under the Local Government Support Fund, P20 million for Cebu hospitals, and P5 million each for provincial hospitals through the Department of Health.
Marcos further ordered power restoration in Bogo within 48 hours to accelerate recovery operations.
“The government’s support will not waver,” Marcos assured survivors, underscoring his directive to sustain relief and rehabilitation efforts until full recovery is achieved./PN
